Kyler Murray is still with the Arizona Cardinals organization as of early 2026, but his future there is very uncertain after an injury‑shortened 2025 season and a late‑season benching that sparked trade and release speculation.

Quick Scoop

  • Kyler Murray played only five games in the 2025 season due to a mid‑foot injury and was shut down for the rest of the year, which added more questions about his long‑term durability.
  • Arizona finished 3‑14 in 2025, missed the playoffs, and fired head coach Jonathan Gannon after a nine‑game losing streak, leaving the team in transition and making Murray’s status a central offseason issue.
  • Contract‑wise, a key date is in March 2026, when a chunk of Murray’s future salary (including his 2027 base) becomes fully guaranteed, effectively forcing the Cardinals to decide whether to keep him or pursue a trade before then.
  • Some league insiders report that while many expected Arizona to move on, there is now “a growing sense” the Cardinals might run it back with Murray in 2026 because his deal is hard to move and quarterback alternatives are limited.

What actually happened

  • Performance and team results dipped: after earlier flashes of near‑MVP‑level play, Murray was part of an offense that struggled badly in 2025, and the Cardinals slid to the bottom of the NFC with one of the league’s worst records.
  • Benching and relationship strain: reports indicate Murray was essentially benched after Week 9 in 2025, which damaged trust between him and the organization and fueled talk that his time in Arizona “seems to be coming to an end.”
  • Injury factor: the mid‑foot sprain in October 2025 kept him out the rest of the season, officially ending any chance of a late comeback and reinforcing concerns about his availability.

Where things stand now

  • The Cardinals are rebuilding and searching for stability at head coach while simultaneously weighing whether to keep a highly paid, still‑talented but polarizing quarterback in Murray.
  • Financially, his contract is tradeable but heavy; moving him before the key guarantee date could free significant cap space, but it would also leave Arizona hunting for a new starter in a market without many ideal options.
  • Multiple reports suggest everything is on the table: keeping him one more year, trading him to another QB‑needy team, or, less likely, cutting ties outright given the guaranteed money involved.

Fan and media chatter

  • Media narratives often frame the situation as “the Cardinals finally gave up on Kyler,” pointing to the benching, losing streak and messy contract dynamics, while also acknowledging his remaining upside as a passer.
  • On fan forums, reactions range from frustration with his play and injuries to sympathy that he never had a fully stable situation around him and recognition that he is still set financially regardless of what Arizona decides.

Bottom line: nothing dramatic like a retirement or permanent disappearance has happened to Kyler Murray; he is a still‑active quarterback whose future with the Cardinals is in limbo because of injury issues, performance swings, a huge contract, and a franchise in the middle of a reset.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.