Offseason In Review: Arizona Cardinals move on from Kyler Murray after injury-marred 3-14 season

The Arizona Cardinals’ offseason narrative is built around two realities: last season went sideways, and the organization has started to change course. In a league-wide review of what Arizona did between seasons, Pro Football Rumors framed the Cardinals’ year as an injury-ravaged calamity that ended with a 3-14 record. The Cardinals also finished in a four-way tie for the NFL’s worst mark, which gave them access to premium draft capital, but still meant they had to settle for the No. 3 overall pick rather than moving higher.

At the center of the team’s reset is former franchise quarterback Kyler Murray. According to the review, Murray appeared in just five games during what was described as his last season with Arizona, making his availability a key part of the Cardinals’ broader health issues. The same account says the Cardinals cut ties with Murray in the offseason, indicating an end to the most prominent on-field storyline of their recent era and a shift toward a different quarterback direction.

Coaching and leadership changes followed as well. The review indicates the Cardinals divorced themselves from head coach Jonathan Gannon during the offseason, though it reports that general manager Monti Ossenfort survived what it characterizes as the organizational “ax.” That combination, a coaching change paired with a quarterback reset, suggests the front office is trying to preserve continuity at the management level while altering the competitive direction of the roster and staff.

Arizona’s offseason moves are not only about letting go, the review also points to what the Cardinals added. It says the team added an exciting rookie running back, an investment that fits the broader theme of building a foundation around controllable talent and restoring balance to an offense that, by implication, struggled with availability. While the review does not detail scheme fit or immediate statistical expectations, the addition highlights the Cardinals’ willingness to chase playmaking upside rather than wait for a gradual recovery.

The context behind these decisions is straightforward but unforgiving. Finishing 3-14 and tying for the league’s worst record typically changes more than just the game plan. It shapes the roster by increasing the urgency of talent acquisition and intensifying pressure on player development. With the Cardinals holding the No. 3 pick, the team’s early draft haul becomes a referendum on whether the rebuild can turn in the near term, especially if injuries are less disruptive than they were the previous year.

Still, the move away from Murray and Gannon comes with practical caveats. The review describes the season as injury-ravaged, which means it is difficult to separate what was broken from what was simply unavailable. The Cardinals will need to demonstrate that the changes translate into better on-field staying power, clearer roles for key players, and an offense that can produce consistently from week to week. The running back addition becomes one of the clearest early indicators to watch as training camp and the regular season approach.