Injuries and a disappointing record as a starter have made things rocky for Kyler Murray in Arizona. Now, with the quarterback sidelined by a lingering foot injury, a split between him and the Cardinals seems increasingly likely. But according to former Patriots star Rob Gronkowski, Murray’s problems go far beyond just his health or losses.

Podcast host Kay Adams sees the signal-caller’s journey as one of untapped potential, but Gronkowski views it differently. In his eyes, the problem isn’t Murray’s talent; it’s his heart. “The definition of the NFL is who wants it more; who has the bigger heart; who wants to go out there and actually love the game of football and give it their all, and want it,” he said on the Up & Adams show.

“Kyler Murray, I don’t know. I can’t speak for him. But usually, when you have that much talent and the tangibles are all there, it means your heart just really isn’t in the game, and you don’t want it like the other players do. And that’s why you can’t step up and win games.”

This is a tough conversation to have in year 3 of a rebuild. With 3 wins and 5 losses in nine weeks, the Cardinals are sitting at the bottom of the NFC West currently.

Plus, at a 68.3% completion rate for 962 passing yards, the QB has a poor TD-interception ratio of 6-3. Yet, he has shown grit as a dual-threat signal caller, logging 29 carries for 173 rushing yards and 1 rushing score.

But the team also has Jacoby Brissett, who is believed to be a far superior player by many, and that has led to a quarterback controversy surrounding the team.

In fact, many were interested in seeing if the Cardinals would consider trading Murray before the deadline. And if that wasn’t the plan, some analysts are sure the QB will get cut during the offseason. And that is something Rob Gronkowski agrees with. 

Rob Gronkowski believes Kyler Murray will be on a different team soon

In six seasons, Kyler Murray took them into the playoffs only once. And ‘Gronk’ thinks that they might continue with Brissett while showing the exit door to their veteran starter.

“Kyler Murray will be a starting quarterback next year,” Gronkowski said. “I think he’ll finally be gone from the Arizona Cardinals, especially with Jacoby showing the success that he has.”

Gronkowski and Brissett were teammates at NWE back in 2016. Reflecting on that year, he couldn’t believe how they had three QBs on the roster—all of whom were capable of occupying the starting position: Jimmy Garoppolo, Brissett, and Tom Brady.

Gronkowski opined that some of the best QBs were backups for Brady, and they would later on become a starter elsewhere. Regardless, he feels Murray will be on a new team next year, and that too at a discounted price if his guaranteed money is out this year.

But that’s where things get tricky. According to his massive five-year, $230.5 million contract extension signed in 2022, he is signed with the Cardinals until 2028. If he stays with them through the fifth day of their 2026 season, Arizona will have to pay him a guaranteed base salary of $22.835 million. If not, they will take a cap hit of over $53 million.

For now, as we step into Week 10, the Cardinals have made a major decision regarding him. He missed the last three games because of a foot injury, and while the team hoped he would be back soon, he is now on the injured reserve (IR). That means he will miss a minimum of the next four games. And in his absence, Brissett will be the starting QB.