Reports emerging from the NFL combine indicate the Arizona Cardinals and Kyler Murray are days away from an official seperation.
After seven years and two different regimes, the Cardinals look to send Murray packing with head coach Mike LaFleur preparing for 2026 as his first season in the role.
Murray, entering his eighth NFL season, is expected to hit free agency and will be among the most desirable free agents now with his hefty contract out of the picture.
There's several suitors set to be interested in the former No. 1 overall pick, though Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio says the Atlanta Falcons are a sneaky team to watch:
Falcons Make Sense for Kyler Murray?
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murra
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray watches his team from the sidelines as they play the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Nov. 16, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
From Florio:
"Here’s another intriguing possibility, in our view: The Falcons. Coach Kevin Stefanski has no apparent qualms regarding shorter quarterbacks; Dillon Gabriel started multiple games for Stefanski and the Browns last year. And Atlanta has plenty of potent offensive weapons, from Bijan Robinson to Drake London to Kyle Pitts Sr.
"The X factor in Atlanta will be president of football operations Matt Ryan, a former quarterback who measures six feet, five inches. Ryan may prefer a more traditional quarterback to hold down the fort while Michael Penix Jr. recovers from an ACL tear and the Falcons figure out whether he’s still the guy.
"Still, the price could be just right on a one-year deal, for the Vikings, Falcons, or any other team currently looking for a new starter. And the Cardinals will likely be paying Murray a lot of money to play for another team in 2026."
What to Make of Kyler Murray, Atlanta Falcons Duo
Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) leaves the field after defeating the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Falcons could certainly be a fun team with Murray.
Florio highlighted all of their offensive weapons, and Murray, still in his prime, could easily make them a playoff contender in the NFC South after they narrowly missed the postseason last year.
Stefanski's offenses are typically quarterback friendly and Murray's price tag is expected to be extremely team friendly as Arizona will be paying over $50 million in dead cap after his expected release.
For those keeping score at home, the Falcons and Cardinals don't play each other in 2026 — so a revenge game would have to wait if Murray did end up choosing Atlanta.
As for Arizona, their next passer could very well be a familiar face under LaFleur — you can read more about that here.