Sometimes the final play isn’t made on the field. It happens in a medical facility out of state, with test results no coach wants to hear. Friday, December 5, brought a double dose of bad news for the Arizona Cardinals. Head coach Jonathan Gannon stepped to the podium and delivered an update on quarterback Kyler Murray that doesn’t just alter a game plan, it reshapes everything.

“He had more tests done this week, went out of state, got another opinion on it,” Gannon said dejectedly. “It’s not progressing where it’s gonna make sense that he can go. So he’s gonna be done for the year.”

Kyler Murray won’t play again in 2025. He’s done. The mid-foot sprain Murray sustained against the Tennessee Titans back in Week 5 never healed right. The Cardinals had placed him on injured reserve on November 5 with hopes of a late-season return. But foot injuries don’t care about timelines. This one shut down Murray’s seventh season in Arizona and raised serious questions about his future.

Enter Jacoby Brissett. The veteran now officially takes over as QB1 for the rest of 2025. Brisset’s already made seven starts this year and posted solid numbers. So far, Brissett’s thrown for 2,133 yards for 13 touchdowns with a completion percentage of 67.6%. He’s only thrown four picks in that duration, and also has a rushing score to his name. But for the Cardinals’ offense, it gets a lot worse.

Jonathan Gannon has also ruled out wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. for Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams. The second-year wide receiver has just returned in Week 13 after missing two games following an appendectomy. But in their Week 13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he suffered a heel injury and is now out again.

“Any time he puts pressure on his foot, it’s tough,” Gannon explained. “So we’ll just take it day by day with him.”

For a Cardinals receiving corps already running thin, losing Harrison once again hurt. Arizona sits at 3-9 after dropping eight of the last nine games. They’re 0-8 in one-score contests. The offense desperately needed both Murray and Harrison for some late season spark. Now, they get neither.

The timing couldn’t be worse with the 9-3 Rams rolling into town Sunday. Brissett will operate without his best playmaker against a defense that’s been stingy all season. And while the Cardinals’ struggles are amplified this season, the same can probably be said for Kyler Murray’s future in Arizona.

Is Kyler Murray’s run with the Cardinals at its end?

With Kyler Murray’s long-term status in doubt, Brissett’s performance down the stretch matters more than anyone expected. While Brissett has shown he can play better than Murray for the Cardinals, they also have to account for Murray’s $230.5 million contract that runs through the 2027 season. During an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero laid out the financial reality.

“[Murray] still has in 2026 almost $40 million dollars fully guaranteed and another almost $20 million dollars becomes fully guaranteed if Kyler is still on the roster as of March 15th,” Pelissero noted. “It would be unlike Arizona to simply say we’re gonna eat $40 million dollars cash and release him. It’s possible that they could pay it down prior to that additional 20 million dollars vesting for somebody who wants Kyler Murray as a bridge quarterback.”

This idea of facilitating a trade is further fueled by Jonnathan Gannon’s comments. When asked if  Murray would still be their quarterback in 2026, Gannon simply said, “I’m worried about the Rams right now, honestly.”

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Add to this Murray’s own comments. The Cardinals are set to open their brand new facility in 2028. When asked about it back in October, Murray implied he might not be around to see it. “It’s beautiful. I don’t know when it’s coming out, but hopefully I’m here to see it,” Murray had said at the time. With all of this combined, Pelissero’s verdict is simple.

“I think by any logical measure here, you’d say Kyler Murray is probably gonna be someplace else in 2026,” Pelissero said.

The Cardinals have Brissett under contract for the next season. That would free them to either draft a franchise quarterback, or pay down Murray’s deal and move on. Jonathan Gannon did express his regret for Murray’s plight. But those feelings won’t change the math. Arizona started 2-0, and now sits at 3-9. Sunday against the Rams won’t answer anything. But it’ll tell us whether Brissett can be more than just a backup.