There has been a ton of speculation already when it comes to quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL offseason and there will be plenty more in the coming weeks and months. We saw several players at the position be on the move last offseason and we could see a decent amount of movement this year as well. One new player added to that speculation is Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
Three veterans will certainly dominate the headlines. Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks and Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans. However, there are strong arguments to be made that none of them will be on the move this offseason.
Rodgers and the Packers have a strained relationship, but deep down, he likely knows remaining in Green Bay is the best chance he has to make a run at another Super Bowl. Wilson and the Seahawks have some philosophical differences, but to give up on him would be shocking. Watson has 22 lawsuits against him he has to settle before figuring out his playing future.
That takes a lot of the big names out of the mix, but there is still one name to keep an eye on; Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals. Over at NFL.com, Adam Rank selected Murray as one of five stars he would like to see traded this offseason.
“I like Kyler to move because the Cardinals won games without him last year. He would bring in a huge bounty of picks. I know there are some growing rumblings between the Cardinals and Murray, and he’s still young enough to bolt to the Oakland A’s if he wants to. But imagine the Vikings making a move with veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins (and his expiring contract) for Murray. Washington would make a lot of sense, too. To me, it’s very similar to what Jay Cutler went through with the Broncos years ago.”
It would be a bit shocking to see the Cardinals move on from the player that they selected No. 1 overall in 2019 and built their entire franchise around, but Rank presents some good points. Arizona found some success without Murray in the lineup, so they are a team capable of winning should they move on from him this offseason.
If they acquire a player such as Kirk Cousins in return for him, he is an excellent stopgap option or someone they could keep for a few seasons. While not as athletically gifted as Murray, Cousins was extremely efficient in 2021 and has produced some big numbers during his career.
The Washington Commanders need a franchise quarterback after Dwayne Haskins flamed out in his second season after being selected in the first round of 2019. Ryan Fitzpatrick didn’t work out last season, so going all in for a 24-year old multi-time Pro Bowler would be a smart move.
The price to acquire Murray, however, would be significant. He isn’t someone the Cardinals would be giving up on because he hasn’t produced. When healthy, Murray is capable of performing at an MVP level as a true dual-threat quarterback who has improved every season in the league.
A boatload of draft picks and possibly some veteran players as well would be required to pry him from the desert.
