Where will the Arizona Cardinals turn for their franchise quarterback after releasing Kyler Murray?
Earlier this week, the Cardinals made it public that they’d be parting ways with former first-overall pick, when the NFL‘s new league year officially begins on Wednesday, March 13.
Releasing Murray will cost the Cardinals $36.8 million but the club’s new regime felt going in a different direction at the most important position in sports was the best decision going forward.
While the Cardinals own the third pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, there’s not projected to be any signal callers worthy of that high of a selection outside of projected top overall selection and reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, who’s likely already shopping for houses in Las Vegas as he’s likely headed to the Raiders, who are already on the clock with next month’s first overall pick.
When it comes to the Cardinals’ future at the QB position, the only player on the roster is veteran, Jacoby Brissett, who started in place of Murray for the majority of the 2025 season due to the former Pro Bowler dealing with a number of injuries throughout the season.
The Cardinals could opt to stick with Brissett while drafting a developmental QB in the second or third round – but according to ESPN, the Cardinals were named as the “perfect” fit for former Packers backup, Malik Willis.
While projected to warrant a massive deal this off-season, it’s been quite the up-and-down start to Willis’ NFL career.
After struggling to find playing time during his rookie season with the Tennessee Titans, Willis made his first career professional start in Week 8, but proved to hit an immediate rookie wall. The former SMU star completed just 5 of 16 pass attempts for 80 yards in the Titans’ overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Veteran starter, Ryan Tannehill returned to the lineup in Week 9 and kept his spot under center until Week 16 when he went back down with an ankle injury, which forced Willis back into the starting job. Unfortunately for Willis, it was much of the same as his previous start – the rookie signal caller threw for just 99 yards and a pair of interceptions in his second career start but did manage to earn his first career touchdown, albeit on the ground.
Tannehill returned in Week 17 and Willis wouldn’t make a single start in 2023 before being shipped to the Green Bay Packers during the 2024 off-season in exchange for a seventh-round pick.
Willis ended up finding the field in Week 1 of the 2024 season after Packers star signal caller, Jordan Love went down with an MCL injury, which forced the former first-round pick to miss Green Bay’s Week 2 contest. Willis’ third career start was the best of his career, completing 12 of 14 pass attempts for 122 yards which came along with his first career passing touchdown, and most importantly, his first career victory, a 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Love would miss the Packers’ Week 3 game and Willis flashed his talent once again, this time, against his former team in the Titans. Willis completed 13 of 19 passes for 202 yards, and a touchdown while rushing for a team-high 73 yards and a score in the Packers’ 30-14 thrashing of his former team.
Willis would go back to the bench in favor of Love in Week 4 and wouldn’t find the field, at least in a relevant spot, until Week 8, where he led the Packers on a game-winning drive after Love was forced out of the game in the second-half with a groin injury.
In 2025, Willis didn’t touch the field until Week 16 when Love exited a game against the Chicago Bears with a concussion, and albeit in a losing effort, Willis shined yet again, completing nine of 11 pass attempts for 121 yards and a touchdown.
It’s widely expected that whatever team lands Willis’ services would likely offer the fifth-year signal caller around $20 million per season despite the former third-round pick making just six career starts.
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