INDIANAPOLIS – Monti Ossenfort knew the questions were coming, so before he even heard one Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine, the Cardinals general manager spoke about his blurry quarterback situation and, by extension, the future of Kyler Murray.
"I know for a lot of you at the top of your mind is our quarterback situation so here's what I would say," Ossenfort said. "All options are on the table for us. We've got Kyler, Jacoby (Brissett), Kedon (Slovis) all under contract.
"As it pertains to that position, as it pertains to every position on our team, we will look at every avenue to improve. We will continue our process with that."
The answers were not coming on the QB. Not yet. Both Ossenfort and coach Mike LaFleur continue to say only that the conversations continue. Even with a mid-March deadline coming quickly contractually to guarantee Murray another $20 million for 2027, Ossenfort just said discussions about such contractual triggers go on daily, just as they do for all the players with similar contractual language.
LaFleur was asked if he would be open to playing a rookie quarterback.
"I am open and embracing playing the best quarterback possible for the Arizona Cardinals," LaFleur said.
The Cardinals picking at 3 would in most years give them an opportunity to draft a quarterback high. Not this year, not with this class. Fernando Mendoza will go first overall to the Raiders. After that? The Athletic's draft guru Dane Brugler could see Alabama's Ty Simpson being drafted anywhere from 13 to 53. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah sees Simpson as a "great fit" for the Cardinals – but at No. 34 and their second-round pick, not in the first round.
And there are a lot of picks that happen before then.
In Jeremiah's eyes, the next group would be LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State's Drew Allar and Miami's Carson Beck. But the earliest those players project would be the third round, if not later.