Getty Image / Christian Petersen
The Arizona Cardinals set themselves up pretty well for their future with one big move this offseason.
They made a trade with the Houston Texans that secured them an extra 1st rounder for next year.
With that pick, it is possible that the Cardinals could have the top 2 picks in next year’s draft.
It just so happens that the top two prospects in that draft class are both quarterbacks and they already have a Pro Bowl quarterback on their roster.
That will leave them with a big decision to make if they end up with either of their picks falling in the top 2.
According to NFL insider Dan Graziano, it is likely that the Cardinals will trade Kyler Murray next offseason if the opportunity to draft Caleb Williams or Drake Maye arises.
“Most likely outcome: After Murray takes at least a little while (maybe even a long while) to come back, the Cardinals finish with one of the league’s worst records in 2023 and draft either Williams or UNC’s Drake Maye. They have to find a solution to the Murray contract problem next offseason, ideally convincing some other team to take him off their hands and help defray the dead-money cost as Arizona moves on to a future without him.”
On the surface, an NFL team trading their quarterback just 5 seasons into his NFL career when he has already led the team to the playoffs and earned a couple of Pro Bowl nods feels a bit far-fetched.
However, it could make a lot of sense for the Arizona Cardinals.
First of all, a move like this wouldn’t even be all that new for the Cardinals. They drafted Murray just a year after they selected Josh Rosen 10th overall. The move has worked out pretty well for them.
It’s also probably what would be best for both the organization and the player given where the franchise is at right now.
The Arizona Cardinals are not very good at the current moment. Even with a healthy Murray, they’d still need to make some major improvements to even become a playoff team.
Those improvements are going to take some time.
It would be a whole lot easier to take that time with a rookie QB who will need to develop before leading a contender than it would be with a Pro Bowl quarterback in his 6th season.
Trading Kyler Murray would also give him an opportunity to play for a team that is more ready to compete right now.
There should be plenty of suitors out there for the star QB if he becomes available. The Bucs, Vikings, and Titans will likely all be looking for a QB next offseason while other teams could join that list over the next few months.
Maybe football fans already know what the biggest storyline of the 2024 offseason is going to be.