The Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback situation didn’t get any clearer on Tuesday.
General manager Monti Ossenfort told reporters at the 2026 NFL Draft Combine that the process is ongoing when it comes to the signal-caller situation.
“I’d say all options are on the table for us,” Ossenfort said. “We got (Kyler Murray, Jacoby Brissett and Kedon Slovis) all under contract as it pertains to that position. As it pertains to every position on our team, we’re going to look at every avenue to improve. We’re going to continue to go through our process with that.”
When it comes to Kyler Murray, all signs point to a split between the quarterback and the franchise that took him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
It’s more about how it happens. Can Arizona get anything back in return via trade, or will it be forced to release the signal caller outright?
“I’ve always had a good dialogue with Kyler. It wasn’t up to what Kyler wanted, it wasn’t up to what any of us wanted of the season as a whole,” Ossenfort said. “When you have the kind of year that we had, there’s a lot of room for improvement. We got to find a way to do that not only at that position but at all positions. That’s what we’re all focusing on is getting better and moving forward.”
However it goes down with Murray, his departure will leave Brissett and Slovis as the remaining quarterbacks on the roster.
Brissett filled in admirably midway through last year and gave the offense some life working more under center and in play action than Murray did in his five starts before a midfoot sprain ended his season.
The wins didn’t follow, however, with Brissett posting a 1-11 mark as Arizona’s starter last year. That record isn’t all on Brissett as injuries on both sides of the ball and an inconsistent offensive line plagued the Cardinals’ chances in 2025. But it’ll certainly be taken into consideration in the QB discussion.
Arizona could also look to free agency for another veteran option to compete with Brissett. Green Bay’s Malik Willis has been the hot topic as the top-ranked free agent this offseason and has plenty of ties to the Cardinals.
“I don’t want to get into evaluations of specific players. Malik did a great job when he went in there for Green Bay this year,” Ossenfort said. “I was Malik for a short time there in Tennessee, had a great college career coming out. He’s one of the quarterbacks that’s available and we’ll evaluate all our options, whether it’s free agency, the draft … we’ll be prepared to do what’s best for the team.”
The Cardinals could try to pry a quarterback away from another team via trade, too. San Francisco’s Mac Jones is a good example of someone the Cardinals could look into.
The upcoming NFL Draft presents another opportunity. Barring a trade up to No. 1 overall, the Cardinals aren’t coming away with the top-rated QB prospect in Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
That doesn’t mean the Cardinals can’t look into taking a chance at a signal caller later in the draft. If Alabama’s Ty Simpson slides to the second round, he could be a flier worth taking given he checks the right boxes for Arizona.
“I’m open and embracing playing the best quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals,” head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters Tuesday. “We’re still working through that process right now and there’s going to be a lot of factors that lead into that.”