Cardinals trade rumor could lead to blockbuster deal with Steelers, Vikings or Browns

If there's one thing the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings have in common, it's uncertainty at quarterback.

The Steelers are not sure what Aaron Rodgers is going to do. What we do know is if he doesn't return, Pittsburgh doesn't have a sure answer at quarterback on the roster with guys like Will Howard and Mason Rudolph under contract.

In Cleveland, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson are the two starting candidates for 2026, but with a new head coach in town in Todd Monken, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Browns go in a different direction.

The Vikings need a veteran signal-caller as an insurance policy for J.J. McCarthy, and a recent report from ESPN's Kevin Seifert suggests they could replace the former No. 10 overall pick entirely with an experienced quarterback.

One team all three of those squads should be keeping an eye on is the Arizona Cardinals, who could trade quarterback Kyler Murray this offseason.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Arizona is indeed expected to explore a trade involving Murray, although he cautions that financial hurdles could prevent a trade from happening.

"The Dolphins would like to explore trading Tua Tagovailoa; ditto for the Cardinals and Kyler Murray -- but it remains unclear whether a deal for either quarterback is feasible given the financial hurdles for an acquiring team," Schefter reported.

Murray's 2025 campaign was plagued by injury, but it looked like he was about to get benched for Jacoby Brissett before Murray landed on injured reserve.

That said, he's still an above-average quarterback and will be an attractive option for team's that need a quick fix at the position.

There is no long-term commitment necessary with Murray, either, as he doesn't have any guaranteed money left on his contract after this season.

On the flip side, he's still just 28 years old, so if things pan out, he can be a long-term answer for whoever acquires him.

We would say the Steelers are the most likely landing spot for Murray of the three squads mentioned here.

The Steelers are looking to compete now with their aging roster and can offer Murray a clear path to a starting job, assuming Rodgers isn't back.

Minnesota has the better roster, but it remains to be seen if the Vikings would be willing to kick McCarthy to the curb for Murray. If so, the Vikings are the better landing spot for the former No. 1 overall pick.

We wouldn't completely rule the Browns out here, but trading draft capital for Murray at the outset of a rebuild when the team is so far away from competing doesn't seem like a smart approach.

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