We’re not too used to mid-season quarterback rumors. Especially after the deadline, but here we are. The noise around Kyler Murray’s future in Arizona keeps getting louder, and one former Cardinal isn’t shy about warning the team to slow down on that idea.

Kurt Warner, who knows the franchise and the position better than most, says Arizona shouldn’t be so quick to push Murray out the door, pointing to the scarcity of top quarterbacks in the league and the uncertainty of landing a better player than the one you’ve let go.

“When there’s not many of them out there, they need to take a guy and say, ‘we’re gonna let one of those guys go in hopes of getting another one that’s higher in the hierarchy of 32’. There’s not a lot of those elite guys out there. You have to weigh how well that changes or affects your organisation moving forward,” Warner said on the PHNX Cardinals podcast.

“There’s no guarantee that if you get rid of a good one, you’ll get a great one,” the former Cardinals’ quarterback warned.

If the Cardinals actually move on from Murray, who exactly are they getting? There isn’t an elite quarterback floating around waiting for a new home. Most of the names you can realistically tie to a move are not necessarily upgrades over Kyler Murray.

The only name that even fits the conversation is Mac Jones. The 49ers’ backup is widely viewed as a trade candidate next offseason now that Brock Purdy is healthy and firmly entrenched. Jones has played well enough in relief that he’d draw interest.

“It would not surprise me at all if the 49ers traded Mac Jones for a day two pick in next year’s draft,” insider Adam Schefter said.

But then you come back to Warner’s point. You have to ask whether that move actually makes you better. Jones is talented, no doubt. He might even thrive somewhere with a stable system and a long runway. But will he end up being better than Murray, who’s thrown north of 20,000 yards and 121 touchdowns in Arizona? You don’t know that.

Yes, Murray is struggling this season. Yes, a reset sometimes helps both sides. But this is the kind of decision that can set a franchise back years if it goes wrong. Regardless of the risk, the rumors are getting louder day by day.

Kyler Murray trade rumors intensify

Kyler Murray’s future in Arizona was already hovering in that gray space coming into 2025, the kind of storyline everyone acknowledged but no one truly expected to materialize. Fast-forward a few months, and it suddenly feels less like background noise and more like the Cardinals are actually edging towards showing him the door.

“Most people I talk to about the Murray situation doubt that the Cardinals will be able to trade that contract, which means he’d likely be released before that 2027 money triggers next March,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano said.

According to Spotrac, Murray is set to make $42.535 million next season, with nearly $40 million guaranteed, followed by $36.335 million in 2027, with $19.5 million guaranteed. It’s a heavy commitment for a quarterback who hasn’t been on the field since Week 5. And that’s where the Cardinals’ dilemma lives: they need a trade partner. They can’t simply walk away.

A trade would mean that the Cardinals would only have to take on $17.9 million in dead cap, but releasing him would be a lot costlier. $57.7 million would have to be absorbed if they let him walk free.

Yet, the financial side isn’t the only thing pushing this conversation forward. The Cardinals haven’t been thrilled with Murray’s play either. He’s thrown for 962 yards and six touchdowns in five games. And then the foot sprain happened, followed by putting him on IR this week, which could very well end his season.

In the meantime, the offense has looked steadier with backup QB Jacoby Brissett running it, which only deepened the internal debates. But Arizona has to be careful not to lose the plot here. This is still Kyler Murray. He’s 28. He’s been a top-five talent in this league when everything is aligned. He has all the potential to be back to his best.