Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill confirmed that General Manager Monti Ossenfort will be leading the search for the team’s next head coach during a Monday press conference and Ossenfort weighed in another major offseason decision later in the session.
Quarterback Kyler Murray missed the final 12 games of the season with a foot injury and there was plenty of speculation during the season that he’s played his final game as a Cardinal. During Monday’s press conference, Ossenfort noted that Murray remains under contract and said that all options are on the table for what the team will do at the position in the future.
The identity of the next head coach will obviously have bearing on what direction the Cardinals choose to go. Murray’s contract guarantees him over $39 million in 2026 and keeping him on the roster through the fifth day of the new league year will add another $19.5 million in guarantees for 2027. The Cardinals would get limited cap savings by making Murray a post-June 1 cut and a trade would likely require them to eat some money in order to find a taker for Murray in 2026.
Moving on from Murray would also require the Cardinals to find another starter, so choosing the next coach is only the start of a busy offseason for Ossenfort and the Cardinals.
