Arizona Cardinals expected to add veteran QB to compete with Kyler Murray

The Arizona Cardinals appear to be putting the pieces in place to build a contender in the NFC for years to come. 

They signed star RB James Conner to a a two-year extension earlier this season. Conner has proven to be a critical piece to the Cardinals offense and earned every bit of the $19 million he’s getting. The Cardinals drafted WR Marvin Harrision Jr in the first round of April’s NFL Draft, and while the former Ohio State star isn’t dominating every week, he’s had a solid rookie campaign with 727 yards and seven touchdowns so far. 

Tight end Trey McBride has developed as one of the best players at his position in the NFL. McBride has 92 catches for 958 yards, but somehow, hasn’t found the end zone once this season. 

On the defensive side of the ball, second-year head coach Jonathan Gannon has some young pieces with a few veteran leaders anchoring the unit. The Cardinals just locked down Budda Baker to a contract extension which was a critical move, as he’s the vocal and talented player on defense. 

The Arizona Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention with last week’s loss to the Carolina Panthers. 

While they looked like they would compete for a playoff spot in the middle of the season, the Cardinals fell off a cliff recently and there have been serious questions about Kyler Murray’s future as the franchise QB. 

Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano believes it’s time for them to bring in another quarterback to compete with Murray for the starting role:

There’s an argument to be made that the Cardinals (7–8) took steps forward during coach Jonathan Gannon’s second season in Arizona, after only winning four games in 2023. But you can also say that Murray hasn’t done much winning since the team selected him with the No. 1 pick in ’19. The Cardinals are 0–1 in the postseason in six seasons with Murray. They’re 35–44–1 with Murray as the starter. He’s also making over $46 million per year to do more than just deliver uneven performances for a mediocre team.

It’s time the Cardinals added real competition to push Murray as he enters the final year of guaranteed money on his contract—he’s owed $29.9 million guaranteed in 2025, according to OvertheCap.com. Maybe that means signing Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Daniel Jones or even Zach Wilson, who could maybe be the next New York Jets outcast to do well with a different team.