Should auld acquaintance be forget and something something the Cardinals have released quarterback Kyler Murray.
At precisely 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday — the official start of the 2026 league year to the minute — the Cardinals announced that they have parted ways with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft.
“With today’s start of the new league year and transactions now official, we want to thank Kyler for everything he has done for this organization over the last seven years,” Cardinals G.M. Monti Ossenfort said in a statement. “We are extremely grateful for his contributions both on the field and off and we wish him nothing but the absolute best moving forward.”
The Cardinals owe Murray $36.8 million for 2026. This allows him to sign a one-year deal for $1.3 million, with the Cardinals paying the $35.5 million balance.
As explained earlier, the Vikings making the most sense. Most of the other teams that were looking for a starter have addressed their needs.
Barring a major upset, the Vikings will add Murray to the depth chart, at a very low cost.
Running back Aaron Jones will be staying with the Vikings, but they are set to part ways with another veteran on Wednesday.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Vikings will release defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. Word of the team’s plan to cut ties with Hargrave first surfaced early this month.
Hargrave was headed into the second year of the two-year deal he signed with Minnesota last year. The move will clear just under $11 million in cap space, but nearly $10.5 million will remain on the cap as dead money.
Hargrave had 52 tackles, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 16 games for the Vikings last season.
A report early this month said that the Vikings were set to release running back Aaron Jones, but he and the team have worked out a revised deal that will keep him in Minnesota.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Jones has agreed to cut his base salary to $5.5 million as part of those changes. Jones was set to have a salary of $9 million before the revision took place.
No other details of the changes have been reported, so Jones may have a chance to earn some of that money through incentives related to his production on the field.
Jones ran 132 times for 548 yards and two touchdowns while catching 28 passes in 12 games for the Vikings in 2025.
With Malik Willis, Tua Tagovailoa, Geno Smith, and Daniel Jones off the board for 2026, the next available (inevitably) quarterback to watch is Kyler Murray.
The Vikings have been strongly linked to Murray, who has $36.8 million in full guarantees from the Cardinals in 2026. He can take a one-year deal for the minimum based on his years of service ($1.3 million) and stick the Cardinals for the $35.5 million balance.
It becomes a great deal for the cap-strapped Vikings, who could have Murray and J.J. McCarthy under contract for the coming year at a total cap charge of less than $7.3 million.
With the Dolphins, Falcons, Jets, and Colts now out of the mix for a potential Kyler courtship, Murray’s options are limited. The Steelers are waiting for Aaron Rodgers. Who else needs a potential starter for 2026? The only team that could conceivably enter the conversation is the analytics-obsessed Browns, who may not be able to resist the opportunity to acquire the “asset” of a former No. 1 overall pick for the minimum.
Last year, as the trade deadline approached and we poked around the possibility of a Murray deadline deal, we learned two things: (1) there were too many moving parts to make a trade happen; and (2) Murray’s preferred destinations were the Raiders (due to the presence of Chip Kelly) and the Vikings (due to the presence of Kevin O’Connell).
Kelly is long gone from Las Vegas. That leaves one team.
The bettors seized on it, even before the other seats were filled. Minnesota opened as a -110 favorite to be Murray’s next team. The odds moved to -295, before the bet went off the board.
So, yes, Murray to Minnesota makes the most sense. And he’ll likely be the next domino to fall in the annual offseason quarterback carousel.
Tavierre Thomas, a major contributor to the Vikings’ special teams who also provides depth in the secondary, will stay in Minnesota.
Thomas is signing a two-year deal to remain with the Vikings, his agents told Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Last year Thomas played 371 special teams snaps and also played a small role as a defensive back, where he has lined up at both cornerback and safety. The Vikings will likely use him in a similar role this season.
Thomas, whose 30th birthday is today, originally signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted rookie in 2018 and has also spent time with the Browns, Texans and Buccaneers.
