Jets Rumors Heat up, Cardinals QB Kyler Murray Emerges

A name continues to pop up in the New York Jets quarterback conversation this offseason.

NBC Sports analyst said he “wouldn’t be surprised” to see Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray “end up with the Jets.”

“That is one I keep hearing a decent amount: Kyler Murray to the Jets,” Berry revealed on social media.

Murray to Be Released, Jets Will Have a Chance

On Tuesday, March 3, the Cardinals “informed” Murray that they will cut him “on the first day of the league year” on March 11, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter posted on social media.

“Arizona already owes him $36.8M guaranteed in 2026, and another $19.5M would have triggered on March 15 for 2027. He now will be moving on,” Schefter added.

Due to all that guaranteed money the Cardinals owe him, the next team that signs him will get an insane discount. The money offsets, which means Murray gets his money either way. In other words, Murray can sign for the veteran minimum in 2026, which is $1.3 million, per NFL Insider Ari Meirov.

Mutually Beneficial Relationship

NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY confirmed the Jets rumors from the NFL Combine: “One name that surfaced repeatedly in league discussions: Kyler Murray.”

“If the goal is basic competence,” a high-level executive told Hughes, “Murray can get you there.”

“The belief is [that] he can guide a team to seven or eight wins while providing dynamic playmaking ability,” Hughes wrote.

The Jets haven’t won eight or more games in a season since 2015.

Gang Green is desperate for a quarterback. They need to win games immediately to save people’s jobs on 1 Jets Drive.

The Jets actually have a lot to work with on offense with stout trench play, Breece Hall (franchise tagged), a No. 1 wide receiver in Garrett Wilson, and a young tight end with upside in Mason Taylor.

Plus, the Jets have a boatload of draft picks and cap space to make their overall roster even stronger.

In theory, Murray could sign a one-year veteran minimum deal, ball out with the Jets, and then cash in 2027 with the green and white or another team.

Some Potential Issues to Consider

However, the problem is that there might be some baggage.

“Long term, though? For a young, developing team? ‘It would be a disaster,’ said one coach who worked with Murray in Arizona. That source cited concerns about work ethic, leadership, and locker-room connectivity during his time with the Cardinals. He’s not a person people follow,” Hughes explained.

Interesting connection that Hughes noted: Jets head coach Aaron Glenn “has a relationship with Murray’s father, which could factor into any evaluation. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Jets explore the possibility.”

ESPN’s Rich Cimini spoke with a former teammate of Murray who provided the Jets with a big warning this offseason.

“I was talking to someone, one of his former teammates, the other day, and he basically warned off the Jets about [him]. I said, ‘You know the Jets might be going after Kyler in a month or two.’ He goes, ‘No, no, no, the Jets don’t want to do that. You don’t want Kyler Murray as your quarterback.’ This is someone who played with Murray,” Cimini explained on the “Flight Deck” podcast.

Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.