Heading into Week 11’s slate of games, there were already plenty of potential landing spots for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray this offseason with a split seeming likely.
After Sunday’s results, another suitor may have emerged.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. not only aggravated a bone bruise and left knee sprain in Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers, but he also sustained damage to his ACL that could require full reconstruction of the ligament.
Given his history of ACL tears — albeit in his right knee — that last part of the diagnosis is concerning to say the least.
If Penix, who heads to injured reserve, does have to undergo full reconstruction, his 2026 (or at least a good chunk of it) is in serious question.
At 3-8, the Falcons’ first-round pick sits at No. 8 overall. The only problem? The Falcons dealt their 2026 first-round to the Los Angeles Rams last April in a deal that brought back pass rusher James Pearce Jr. to Atlanta.
But even if they still had that pick, the likelihood of going the rookie quarterback route just two years removed from snagging Penix with the No. 8 overall seems highly unlikely.
After all, Penix appeared to take a step forward before going down with the injury, completing 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards and nine touchdowns to three interceptions across nine starts this year.
That’s where Murray could come in.
Atlanta is about to hand over the reins to Kirk Cousins for the foreseeable future with Penix on the mend. But the highly paid backup quarterback was already an afterthought on the roster, with Penix clearly viewed as the future.
Cousins is under contract through 2027 but could be an offseason trade target if he can put something decent on tape the rest of the way. There’s bound to be a team looking for that next Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Mac Jones or Daniel Jones success story, although Cousins is already 37 years old.
There’s definitely the financial hurdle to think about, with a trade before June 1 resulting in $25 million of dead cap but would return $32.5 million in cap savings, per OverTheCap.
A trade after June 1 would mean a $12.5 million in dead money but $45 million in cap savings. That move, however, seems unlikely giving the timing.
As for an outright release, that feels much more like the move.
Cousins would bring about a $35 million dead money hit with $22.5 million in cap savings if cut before June 1. A release designated after that date, the number drops to $22.5 million with $35 million in savings.
And with Cousins gone and Penix’s rehab potentially bleeding into next year, that leaves the door open for a veteran signal caller to slide in and serve as a competitive placeholder.
Given the current list of free-agent quarterbacks this upcoming offseason — Jones, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Marcus Mariota, Joe Flacco to name a few — Murray is among the more intriguing names to consider.
Murray is also south of 30 years old, something most of those mentioned above can’t say.
In terms of where Murray would want to land if he and the Cardinals do end up separating this offseason, Atlanta wouldn’t be the worst idea given their weapons, such as running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London.