The Cardinals are officially moving on from quarterback Kyler Murray.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Cardinals have informed Murray they plan to release him on the first day of the new league year unless a trade takes place before then. The new league year begins on Wednesday, March 11, and the Cardinals will still owe Murray $36.8 million in 2026.
As we explained in @theMMQB Takeaways, Kyler Murray's $36.8 million guarantee means he'll almost certainly play on the minimum next year (with Arizona footing the rest of the bill). That'll allow him to make his next move purely on what's best for him football-wise.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 3, 2026
As the news was announced, Murray took to social media to write a message as he prepares to move on. Murray wrote:
“To everyone that supported me and showed kindness to my family and I during my time in AZ, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
I wanted nothing more than to be the one to end the 77 year drought for this organization, I am sorry I failed us. I wish this community and my brothers nothing but the best.
I am no stranger to adversity, I am prepared for whatever’s next. I trust in God and my work ethic. I truly believe my best ball is in front of me and I look forward to proving it.
Godspeed.”
To everyone that supported me and showed kindness to my family and I during my time in AZ, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
— Kyler Murray (@K1) March 3, 2026
I wanted nothing more than to be the one to end the 77 year drought for this organization, I am sorry I failed us. I wish this community and my…
Murray exits Arizona after spending seven seasons with the Cardinals franchise. The No. 1 pick by the team in 2019, Murray was expected to lead the Cardinals back to true contention, but they were never able to accomplish those goals together. Murray went 38-48-1 as a starter, and led the Cardinals to one playoff appearance in 2021, his best year with the team. That season, Murray threw for 3,787 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 picks and made his second straight Pro Bowl while helping Arizona reach the wild-card round.
Unfortunately, injuries limited Murray over significant parts of the last four seasons and the Cardinals struggled to get the roster right around their quarterback. With a new head coach taking over in Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals are ready to move on and allow Murray to find a chance to succeed elsewhere.
With a number of quarterback-needy teams and an underwhelming 2026 draft class at the position, Murray should attract attention across the league. A number of quarterbacks such as Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Daniel Jones have found success with other teams, and Murray could follow that same path as he leaves Arizona.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kyler Murray Penned Heartfelt Message to Fans As Cardinals Plan to Release Him.
