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The Arizona Cardinals have informed former No 1 overall pick Kyler Murray that they plan to release him at the beginning of the new league year on 11 March, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press.
The quarterback, who is owed $36.8m in guaranteed money in 2026, will be free to sign with another team once he’s released.
The 28-year-old posted a farewell message to Arizona’s fans on social media, expressing regret that he couldn’t couldn’t lead the franchise to their first Super Bowl victory. He took the team to the playoffs just once during his seven-year tenure – a wildcard loss in the 2021 season.
“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,” Murray posted. “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.
He continued: “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.”
Murray played in just five games last season – throwing for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions – before suffering a foot injury against the Tennessee Titans. The Cardinals initially thought Murray would only miss a few weeks, but backup Jacoby Brissett played well in his absence, creating a quarterback controversy. Murray was eventually placed on injured reserve and missed the rest of the season. The Cardinals finished with a 3-14 record and fired head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Murray arrived in Arizona with huge expectations in 2019 after winning the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma, and at times he delivered.
He was the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and a two-time Pro Bowler, providing multiple electrifying highlights such as the so-called “Hail Murray” in 2020, when he connected with DeAndre Hopkins for a game-winning touchdown against the Buffalo Bills on the final play of the game.
The pinnacle of his Cardinals tenure came in 2021, when the team jumped out to a 10-2 record by early December. But Arizona faded down the stretch, losing four of their final five games before getting bounced by the Los Angeles Rams 34-11 in the wildcard round.
The Cardinals signed Murray to $230.5m, five-year deal in 2022 with $160m guaranteed, but the honeymoon was short lived. A few weeks after signing the deal, the franchise removed a strange clause in his contract, which mandated four hours of “independent study” during game weeks. The episode called into question Murray’s work ethic, and his relationship with the franchise was never quite the same.
Murray tore his ACL against the New England Patriots in 2022, which caused him to miss the rest of that season and a big chunk of the 2023 schedule. Coach Kliff Kingsbury was fired after the 2022 season and Gannon was hired to replace him.
The Gannon-Murray relationship showed some promise in 2024 when the Cardinals improved to 8-9 and were in the playoff hunt until the final few weeks of the season. But 2025 fell apart quickly, hastening the end of Murray’s time in the desert.
