If there's one thing the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets have in common, it's an uncertain future at the quarterback position.
The Steelers handed the reins of their job to Aaron Rodgers in the offseason, but he is now 42 years old as of Tuesday and there is no guarantee the future Hall of Famer will be back. He even hinted 2025 could be his last season.
The Jets signed Justin Fields to be their starter this season, but it looks like he'll be one-and-done after struggling and rightly being benched for Tyrod Taylor.
In Minnesota, the Vikings parted ways with Sam Darnold in the offseason with the hope that J.J. McCarthy would be their guy, but McCarthy has looked terrible and now the Vikings will have to re-evaluate after 2025.
One potential option for all three teams is Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who Logan Ulrich of NFL Trade Rumors suggested as a possible trade candidate in 2026.
When teams fail to meet expectations, there are usually consequences, and in this case, Gannon and Ossenfort could sacrifice Murray to save their jobs. It’s not like they won’t have a case with some of Murray’s inconsistencies, and there’s reason to think owner Michael Bidwill will be inclined to give them a chance to succeed or fail with a quarterback of their own choosing, as Bidwill’s doubts about Murray are plain to see in the infamous “homework clause” in Murray’s contract.
Murray is currently on injured reserve with a foot issue, but it looked like he was heading for a benching beforehand after being outplayed by Jacoby Brissett.
In the wake of that situation, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that it is believed the two sides are heading for a split in the offseason.
"Arizona and Murray are expected to have extensive discussions to help determine whether to move forward together or go their own ways. Many sources believe the latter is the likely outcome, with one source saying this week that 'a separation is imminent,'" Schefter reported.
The biggest roadblock for the Cardinals trading Murray will be his $230.5 million contract, which still has $36.8 million guaranteed on it in 2026. The more Arizona picks up of that money, the better the return they'll get.
However, there is also the fact that Murray's deal doesn't have any guaranteed money beyond 2026, so that certainly helps.
Murray would be a fantastic fit for the Vikings, who will be looking for a veteran signal-caller to challenge McCarthy in a competition for the starting job. Murray would amount to an expensive insurance policy, but there's a good chance he'll defeat McCarthy for the starting job if the young quarterback doesn't improve.
The Steelers will obviously only have interest in Murray if Rodgers doesn't return, and if they don't think Will Howard can be the guy. In a quarterbacks room with Murray, Howard and Mason Rudolph, Murray should be able to win that battle.
As for the Jets, they could very well draft a quarterback with their high first-round pick in April, but that's not guaranteed to happen. Adding Murray as a bridge does make sense, although New York will have to weigh giving up draft capital in the midst of a rebuild for someone who may only be around for one year.
There are plenty of ins and outs for each team to consider when it comes to a trade for Murray, but it's logical to think the Steelers, Vikings and Jets are three teams that will at least think about a trade for the two-time Pro Bowler.
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