The Divide Between Kyler Murray And The Arizona Cardinals Grows As Trade Talks Begin

INDIANAPOLIS – The  Arizona Cardinals are spending part of their time at the NFL Scouting Combine engaging with other teams about trading Kyler Murray, according to an NFL source familiar with the matter. That strongly suggests the quarterback's days with the franchise will be ending this offseason.

And this: The New York Jets make a lot of sense as a Murray landing spot. They need a starting quarterback. They're not finding one with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. And coach Aaron Glenn needs to win after delivering a 3-14 record in his first season.

The Jets also have the cap space to make a Murray trade possible.

The Cardinals are not denying the trade talk aspect of this. In fact, they are coming right up to the line of confirming it.

Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort. Photo: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Cardinals Trade Talks For Murray Ongoing

"I'd say all options are on the table for us," general manager Monti Ossenfort said in addressing Murray's future with the team during his national interview session at the Combine. "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're gonna look at every avenue to improve, and we're gonna continue and go through our process with that. So we're gonna do that as we go through our roster building."

Allow me to translate this word salad: When an NFL general manager is asked about his presumptive starting quarterback, who signed a $230.5 million contract and has three years remaining on the deal, but doesn't embrace that quarterback as even being on the team, much less being his starter, well, that player is all but gone.

Because it's practically impossible to have all options on the table, including a trade, and then pulling back from that while expecting the player to not feel betrayed on some level.

(And quarterbacks feeling betrayed don't normally make great leaders).

Kyler Murray may be on the move amid trade talks. (Credit: Getty Images)

Monti Ossenfort Plays Word Games

And that's where the divide between Murray and the Cardinals has deepened this offseason. Because while the quarterback has talked with new coach Mike LaFleur, there has been really no substantive conversation with Ossenfort, per a source.

And when Ossenfort was asked specifically if he's sat down with Murray to discuss last year and next steps, he didn't directly say he has. He obfuscated by saying the two have always talked.

"I've always had a good dialogue with Kyler," Ossenfort said.

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Does Ossenfort think people don't understand when he's deflecting? It's a yes or no question.

"I'd say, it wasn't up to what Kyler wanted, it wasn't up to what any of us wanted, as the season as a whole," Ossenfort added. "When you had the kind of year that we had, there's a lot of room for improvement. We've gotta find a way to do that. Not only at that position, at all positions. But that's what we're all focused on is getting better and moving forward."

Ossenfort would have everyone believe the Cardinals haven't made a decision on what to do with Murray. So, here we are, nearly two months after the season ended for Arizona and the general manager is still having discussions about the status of the team's high-priced QB. 

Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort. Photo: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Scenario Points To Cardinals Moving On

We must therefore believe either the Cardinals' crew has been wasting a lot of time since the season ended or Ossenfort isn't being fully transparent.

I pick the latter, which frankly is more understandable and a better look for a GM not wanting to unveil his entire negotiating strategy.

The Cardinals need a Murray decision by March 16, which is the fifth day of the new league year. That's when Murray would be due a guaranteed $19.5 million bonus for 2027 if he's on the roster. 

The Cardinals do not wish to pay that if they intend to trade Murray. 

"I think those discussions go on daily," Osssenfort said. "Not just Kyler. There's many of our players that have different structures of their contract that come up in that time frame. And so each one of those is an individual discussion and those are going to continue here as we go forward and go into the free agency period and that leads into the draft. Those are discussions that are ongoing and will continue to happen."

That is definitely true in one sense: The discussions this week are between the Cardinals and other teams that might be interested in trading for Murray.