In 2024, Sam Darnold was a punchline. But by 2025, he was leading the Seattle Seahawks into the playoffs, eventually winning Super Bowl LX, making every team that passed on him look foolish. Now Kyler Murray, 2x Pro Bowler, Arizona Cardinals’ 2019 first-overall pick, is walking the same runway, available for $1.3 million. And thirty-one franchises are being dared not to blink.

“The moment he’s cut or released, he immediately becomes the number one available quarterback,” former NFL cornerback Aqib Talib said on The Arena podcast. “It’s really a win-win. If you sign him, the Cardinals are paying for him. You sign him, you like him, you keep him. You don’t like him, he only costs 1.3 million, and it’s on the Cardinals’ tab.”

On March 3, the Cardinals informed Murray they would release him at the start of the new league year. Arizona absorbs up to $54.7 million in dead cap, effectively funding whoever signs him. And veteran voices around the league are all for it.

Even longtime sportswriter Skip Bayless doubled down on the value Murray could bring, along with a bold declaration.

“This would be an all-time steal,” Bayless said. “Kyler Murray is every bit as capable as Sam Darnold, quarterback a good team on a deep playoff run.”

The only concern tagging alongside Kyler Murray is his injuries.

So far, Murray has played a full 17-game season just once in the last five years. A foot injury in Week 5 during the 2025 season ended his stint at five games with 962 yards, six touchdowns, and three picks.

The doubts surrounding Murray’s durability and leadership are real, but former NFL quarterback Cody Kessler has offered a pointed rebuttal.

“He was voted as a team captain for five straight seasons,” Kessler recalled. “That’s voted upon by your peers. So, obviously, the players still view him as a leader. Being able to get him at $1.3million, if it works out, great. Then you may have your future starting quarterback for your franchise, and you can work on negotiating a long-term contract extension.”

Over 87 career games, Kyler Murray has thrown for 121 touchdowns against just 60 interceptions. The talent hasn’t expired; only the patience of one franchise has.

Murray’s story maps almost precisely onto Sam Darnold’s trajectory before 2025. Darnold was written off until Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks rebuilt him into a Super Bowl champion. Kyler Murray needs the same formula: the right coach, the right roster, and a genuine shot.

“He was the number one overall pick by a sorry franchise; he just needs a fresh start,” Skip Bayless added. “He needed to get cut, he needed to get re-challenged, he needed to get humbled. I think it’s right on time for somebody to get the steal of the century. You have a very experienced, talented, still young quarterback who actually should be entering his prime right now. You put him right place, right time, I think Kyler could finish it off.”

For any quarterback-needy teams, Murray becomes an instant plug-and-play option while they solidify their backup plans. And if Murray can replicate his 2024 performance (3,851 yards and 21 touchdowns against 11 picks), you’ve got yourself a long-term solution as well. 

And while quarterback-needy teams like the Minnesota Vikings are the most obvious suitors, at such a low price, nearly every franchise in the league should consider Murray for unparalleled QB depth or as a potential starter, making this a truly league-wide opportunity.

Kyler Murray’s landing spots are taking shape

With Kevin O’Connell leading the Vikings and wide receiver Justin Jefferson ready to ball out, Murray could be leaning toward Minnesota.

“I sense that Minnesota is Kyler Murray’s preference, and that the Vikings are mulling their options,” SI’s Albert Breer reported. “I think J.J. McCarthy will be on the Vikings’ roster next year, competing with another quarterback to start.”

The Indianapolis Colts are also in the picture. Breer noted Murray “has interest in Indy,” where Shane Steichen’s quarterback-development reputation and a dome setting mirror what Murray had in Arizona.

The Colts have placed the transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones after his spectacular season. If Jones suits up in 2026 and gets sidelined while the team is on a hot streak like last season, Indy needs a proven backup behind Jones.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns, the Miami Dolphins, and the New York Jets have also appeared as potential suitors. All four of these teams are under a rebuild and need proven depth under center. Against this backdrop, former NFL safety TJ Ward has captured the economics clearly.

“Any starting quarterback that you even thinking of is pretty much gonna be a bargain at that price,” Ward said on The Arena. “The Vikings, Steelers, Jets, even if you may have a quarterback competition, you could bring them in at that price.”

At 28 and in his physical prime, Kyler Murray arrives in free agency not as a consolation prize, but as a calculated bet. For one franchise willing to spend $1.3 million, this could be the best gamble in NFL history.