NFL Roundup: Cardinals officially release QB Kyler Murray
Wed Mar 11 6:28pm ET
Field Level Media
Kyler Murray is officially on the market.
The Arizona Cardinals released Murray on Wednesday, making him a free agent for the first time after seven seasons with the franchise.
Murray was reportedly a priority target of the Minnesota Vikings. He's not the only veteran quarterback who was released on the first day of the league year.
Kirk Cousins was let go by the Falcons, ending his two-year stint in Atlanta at the halfway mark of a four-year, $180 million deal he signed in free agency after leaving Minnesota in March 2024.
By releasing Murray before March 15, the Cardinals kept their 2026 total cost at $36.8 million. A $19.5 million guarantee would have kicked in Saturday. The Cardinals designated Murray as a post-June 1 release, an accounting maneuver to spread the remainder of his deal over two years for cap purposes.
Murray, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, missed 12 games last season with a foot injury and has played the full regular-season schedule just once in the past five years.
The No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft and 2018 Heisman Trophy winner played for two coaches in Arizona, and a third, Mike LaFleur, was hired to replace Jonathan Gannon.
Indianapolis removed the transition tag from Daniel Jones when the quarterback opted for a two-year, $88 million contract.
Jones was in the midst of a career revival when he suffered a leg injury last season. While trying to play through the pain, Jones sustained a season-ending Achilles injury in December.
Jones threw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions with a completion percentage of 68.0 in 13 games in 2025.
Murray has 121 TD passes and 60 interceptions in 87 career regular-season games. If he chooses the Twin Cities as his next home, Murray could be paired with running back Aaron Jones, who returned to Minnesota on a restructured one-year deal.
Cousins is reportedly one of the veterans the Cardinals might consider. He knows LaFleur from their time together in Washington, where Cousins began his career as a backup to Robert Griffin III.
In Atlanta, former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa signed a one-year deal with the Falcons. With Cousins out of the picture and Michael Penix Jr. returning from ACL reconstruction, Tagovailoa offers new head coach Kevin Stefanski experience as a starting option if Penix isn't ready for the start of the season.
The Jets moved to acquire Geno Smith from the Raiders before Las Vegas could release the 35-year-old. To make the financial agreement work for all parties, NFL Network reported Smith received a $1 million bump on his $18.5 million salary, of which Las Vegas will pay more than $13 million in 2006.
--Baltimore found a pass rusher one day after pulling the plug on the Maxx Crosby acquisition due to a failed physical.
The Ravens are adding Trey Hendrickson on a deal reportedly worth $112 million over four years. Hendrickson, 31, played seven games last season before core muscle surgery pushed him to injured reserve.
Hendrickson had only 4.0 sacks last season after leading the NFL with 35 total sacks in 2023-24.
--Safety Kevin Byard III reunited with Mike Vrabel in New England, signing a one-year, $9 million deal with the Patriots.
Byard led the NFL with seven interceptions last season with the Bears. He previously played for Vrabel with the Titans, who drafted him in the third round of the 2016 draft. Vrabel coached Tennessee from 2018 to 2023.
The Patriots also signed wide receiver Romeo Doubs (Packers) to a four-year deal and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (Jets) to a three-year contract.
--Outside linebacker Bradley Chubb signed a three-year, $43.5 million deal with the Bills, according to multiple reports.
He joins wide receiver DJ Moore, who was officially acquired in a trade with the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick, as a new addition in Buffalo. Those deals were made possible with the help of quarterback Josh Allen. Allen restructured his contract to free up more than $12 million in salary cap space, according to multiple reports.
Chubb was officially released by the Dolphins on Wednesday with a post-June 1 designation and quickly hooked on with the AFC East rival in Buffalo.
Chubb's cap hit for 2026 was $31.2 million and the Dolphins have worked to get under the salary cap by Wednesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline by making multiple cuts.
Chubb led the Dolphins with 8.5 sacks in 2025. Joey Bosa is a free agent in Buffalo and not expected to return.
--Tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo signed with the Washington Commanders, who had a busy day addressing needs.
Okonkwo had career-best numbers with the Titans in 2025, hauling in 56 receptions for 560 yards. He has eight touchdowns in 68 games since being drafted by Tennessee in the fourth round of the 2022 draft.
--Other deals reported by teams as official transactions on Wednesday:
--CB Trent McDuffie traded to the Los Angeles Rams by the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2026 first-round (29th overall), a 2026 fifth-round pick, a 2026 sixth-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick.
--LBs Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean signed three-year contracts with the Raiders.
--Chiefs TE Travis Kelce re-signed; one-year deal worth a reported $12 million.
--S Minkah Fitzpatrick acquired by the Jets from the Miami Dolphins.
--RT Tytus Howard acquired by the Cleveland Browns from the Houston Texans for a 2026 fifth-round pick.
--Steelers DE Cameron Heyward re-signed; one-year deal worth a reported $18 million.
--C Elgton Jenkins signed a two-year deal worth a reported $24 million with the Cleveland Browns.
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The Paur Report
The New England Patriots agreed to terms on an undisclosed deal with free-agent tight end Julian Hill on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Hill will stay in the AFC East and will join the division-rival Patriots after spending the first three years of his career with the Miami Dolphins, where he caught a total of 33 passes for 288 yards and no touchdowns on 48 targets over 45 games (26 starts). The former undrafted free agent out of Campbell University had career-highs in catches (15), targets (20), and receiving yards (140) in 14 games for the Dolphins in 2025. The 25-year-old won't have any real fantasy appeal going into next season in Boston, but he'll help fill a blocking role behind starter Hunter Henry to help make up for the loss of Austin Hooper, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.
From RotoBaller
The New York Jets had some interest in free-agent quarterback Carson Wentz (shoulder), but he's unlikely to sign with the Jets "as of now," multiple sources told Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Wentz, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury filling in for J.J. McCarthy last year, is going through his options on the open market. The Jets have already traded for veteran signal-caller Geno Smith, but they'd like to bring in another veteran QB this offseason, similar to what the New York Giants did a season ago with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. The 33-year-old Wentz, a former Pro Bowler back with the Philadelphia Eagles in his second year in the league in 2017, isn't much more than a low-upside game manager now when he's running an offense. If he were to sign with Gang Green, he'd most likely enter the 2026 campaign as the backup to Smith.
From RotoBaller
The Denver Broncos re-signed tight end Lucas Krull to an undisclosed one-year deal on Wednesday, according to Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette. Krull just wrapped his fourth year in the NFL and his second with the Broncos in 2025 by catching only two passes for 15 yards on four targets in three games played due to a foot injury that caused him to miss the majority of the season. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh had his best year in 2024 with Denver, catching 19 of his 23 targets for 152 yards and no touchdowns in 13 games (two starts). Krull could be the Broncos' No. 4 tight end entering the 2026 season this fall, behind Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, and Nate Adkins, who is a restricted free agent. He will be miles from fantasy relevance when drafts kick off later this year.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles impending free-agent tight end Dallas Goedert's void date has been pushed back to Friday, a league source told Zach Berman of The Athletic. It's a procedural move that will give both sides a chance to work out a contract extension before he officially hits the open market. The 31-year-old and the Eagles could be close to getting something done to keep him around. The veteran tight end was originally drafted by the Eagles in the second round in 2018 out of South Dakota State, and he's been with the team for all eight years of his career. Goedert suited up for 15 regular-season games in 2025 and caught a career-high 60 passes on 82 targets for 591 yards and a career-best 11 touchdowns to finish as the TE3 in half-PPR scoring. If he returns to Philly, he'll be a big part of the Eagles' new-look offense again, but fantasy managers certainly won't be able to count on a repeat of double-digit touchdowns.
From RotoBaller
The Houston Texans signed former New Orleans Saints tight end Foster Moreau to an undisclosed deal on Wednesday, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Moreau will move to the AFC South after spending the last three seasons in the Big Easy. The 28-year-old former fourth-round pick by the Raiders in 2019 out of LSU caught 60 of his 78 targets for 665 yards and six touchdowns in 43 games (36 starts) in his three years with the Saints. Moreau only played in 11 games in 2025, though, due to an ankle injury. He finished with a career-low seven grabs on 10 targets for 59 yards and no touchdowns. At best, Moreau will serve as the No. 2 tight end in Houston in 2026 behind starter Dalton Schultz, who recently signed an extension through the 2027 campaign. Moreau can be safely ignored in single-TE leagues this fall.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said that they and quarterback Lamar Jackson ran out of time to get a long-term extension done, but he added that the Ravens are "still hopeful to reach an agreement," according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. The 29-year-old two-time MVP serves as his own agent, which makes things more difficult for the organization. Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million contract with Baltimore in April of 2023 and restructured his contract on Wednesday to give the Ravens some extra salary cap space to make moves this offseason. Without an extension, Jackson can be an unrestricted free agent after the 2027 season. He battled through injuries and was a disappointment for fantasy managers last year who took him as a high-end QB1, but Jackson is still one of the most dynamic dual-threat QBs in the game and is tied with Aaron Rodgers for the best passer rating (102.2) in NFL history. He also has the record for most career rushing yards (6,522) by a QB.
From RotoBaller
Former New York Jets wide receiver John Metchie III is signing an undisclosed one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Metchie will reunite with quarterback Bryce Young, with whom he played college ball at Alabama. The 25-year-old was originally a second-round pick (44th overall) by the Houston Texans in the 2022 NFL draft. Metchie had an unfortunate setback with a cancer diagnosis and missed the entire 2022 season, but he has slowly bounced back and posted a career-high 274 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 33 receptions in 16 games (seven starts) with the Jets and Philadelphia Eagles last year. Metchie will now head to the NFC South, where he'll serve in a depth role behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. His previous connection with Young should help, but barring an injury ahead of him on Carolina's WR depth chart, it's hard to imagine Metchie having much weekly fantasy football appeal in 2026.
From RotoBaller
The Jacksonville Jaguars are signing former Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. to an undisclosed two-year deal on Wednesday, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Rodriguez will head to the AFC South after three years in Washington. The 25-year-old former sixth-round pick by the Commanders in 2023 out of Kentucky had his best year in 2025, carrying the ball 112 times for 500 yards and six touchdowns, which were all career-highs. He also caught three passes for 30 yards in 13 games played (seven starts) in D.C. In his three years with Washington, C-Rod had 10 rushing touchdowns while averaging a healthy 4.6 yards per tote. Jacksonville lost Travis Etienne Jr. to the New Orleans Saints in free agency and will now go into the 2026 campaign with Rodriguez, Bhayshul Tuten, and LeQuint Allen Jr. as their backfield options, barring another RB addition in the upcoming draft. Tuten figures to be the Jags' RB1, but Rodriguez could easily have flex appeal in a complementary role in a rising offense.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | The 49ers are expected to release wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk today. Dynasty Analysis: Aiyuk is a talented player but simply wore out his welcome in San Francisco over the past couple of seasons. This has always been the most likely outcome. Aiyuk didn't play at all last season and only suited up for seven games in 2024, making him a risky free agent signing. Still, teams like the Commanders have already shown interest and it would be surprising to see Aiyuk sit out on the sidelines long awaiting a new contract. His ADP has a chance to rise quite a bit but we also need to stay pretty skeptical.
Dynasty | Zonovan "Bam" Knight has re-signed with the Arizona Cardinals. Dynasty Analysis: The Cardinals offense now "boasts" a quarterback room with Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew and a running back room with James Conner, Trey Benson, Tyler Allgeier and Knight. This is turning out to be a total mess as the Cardinals seem poised to employ an unpredictable running back platoon and quarterbacks who aren't exactly scaring defenses ready to stop the run. It's a nice position for the Cardinals, who have a lot of talent there. However, this looks like a disaster in dynasty leagues and Knight won't have much value at the moment.
Dynasty | Aaron Jones has restructured his contract to stay in Minnesota. Dynasty Analysis: The Vikings were said to be releasing him but Jones lowered his salary enough to make both sides feel good about moving forward. This is bad news for Jordan Mason truthers who will now see Minnesota employ another committee attack moving forward, at least in the short-term. Jones and Mason are both going to be tough to put in lineups next season and their ADPs will likely suffer.
Dynasty | The Washington Commanders have signed free agent tight end Chig Okonkwo. Dynasty Analysis: The annual dynasty sleeper posted a 56/560/2 line last year and could do the same for Washington next year as a replacement for Zach Ertz. He'll likely get more hype than he should moving forward based on his annual disappointment in terms of dynasty production but this is a good landing spot and should help his ADP.
Dynasty | The Falcons have released quarterback Kirk Cousins. Dynasty Analysis: As expected. Cousins was a mess during his time with the Falcons and really hasn't looked anything like the player he was during his prime years with the Vikings and Commanders. Cousins will have some interest out there and Las Vegas seems to be the most likely destination as they may want to bridge a year for Fernando Mendoza. Regardless, the aging Cousins will only have value in 2QB leagues moving forward and that's even going to be minimal, no matter where he ends up.
Dynasty | The Panthers have signed wide receiver John Metchie. Dynasty Analysis: Metchie will look to crack the rotation with the Panthers and has a decent chance to do so behind Tetairoa McMillan but we'll need to see what else Carolina does in free agency and the upcoming NFL Draft. One of the easiest players to root for based on what he's gone through, Metchie is still a fringe dynasty roster player at the moment despite finding a new home.
Dynasty | The Cardinals have released quarterback Kyler Murray. Dynasty Analysis: Murray is reportedly already visiting with the Vikings as the league's worst kept secret becomes closer and closer to coming to fruition. We'll see where he ends up but his release leaves Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew to lead the Cardinals in 2026. As for Murray, the Browns and Steelers may have some interest but let's just say we already have a pre-written article for him signing in Minnesota. Yep, we're that confident.
Free-agent quarterback Jake Browning plans to sign an undisclosed one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Browning will go from backing up Joe Burrow in Cincinnati to backing up Baker Mayfield in Tampa. The 29-year-old signal-caller from Washington has three years of NFL experience with the Bengals, appearing in 17 games (10 starts). In those games, Browning completed 68.5% of his 368 pass attempts for 2,707 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He led the league with a 70.4% completion percentage in his rookie year in 2023, when he was forced to make seven starts with Burrow injured. In Tampa, Browning will serve as a solid backup option for Mayfield, whose aggressive style of play opens him up to plenty of injuries. If Browning is forced into starts for the Bucs in 2026, he definitely won't have the top-notch receiving corps he worked with in Cincy.
From RotoBaller
The New York Jets agreed to terms with former Las Vegas Raiders offensive guard Dylan Parham on a two-year deal worth up to $20 million on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Parham will help bolster the Jets' offensive line in 2026 after spending the first four years of his NFL career in the desert. The Raiders drafted the 26-year-old in the third round in 2022 out of Memphis. Parham will be expected to protect veteran quarterback Geno Smith, with whom he played last year in Las Vegas. Along a young and inexperienced offensive line in New York, Parham should be expected to start for the team next season. Parham has started 63 of the 64 games he's appeared in over the last four years with the Raiders. It's unclear exactly where he'll play, but he has experience at left and right guard and at center, giving the Jets options.
From RotoBaller
The Baltimore Ravens agreed to terms on an undisclosed deal with free-agent tight end Durham Smythe on Wednesday, sources told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Smythe will likely be the blocking replacement at the position for Charlie Kolar, who left in free agency this week to join the Los Angeles Chargers. The 30-year-old veteran will reunite with new Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle after being coached by him with the Chicago Bears in 2025. The former fourth-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in 2018 out of Notre Dame won't be anywhere near the fantasy radar in any format going into next season. Smythe had a career-low four catches on six targets for 25 yards in 17 regular-season games with the Bears last year, and he has a measly 136 receptions for 1,253 yards and three touchdowns in his eight-year NFL career.
From RotoBaller
The Arizona Cardinals officially released quarterback Kyler Murray (foot) at the start of the new league year on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. Murray is "at or near the top" of the Minnesota Vikings' QB wish list this offseason as they look to pair a veteran to push young signal-caller J.J. McCarthy. Murray's fantasy football stock is way down after he missed the final 12 games of the 2025 season in Arizona due to a foot sprain he suffered in Week 5. The 28-year-old former first overall selection in 2019 out of Oklahoma wasn't in sync before his injury, either, throwing for 962 yards, six touchdowns, and three picks in five games started. Despite his poor final season in Arizona, Murray will be attractive to teams looking for a cheap and experienced option at the position, as the Cardinals are paying the $38.8 million guarantees still owed to him. If Minnesota adds Murray and he wins the starting gig over McCarthy, he'd be a clear QB2 bounce-back candidate.
From RotoBaller
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers tendered an undisclosed one-year deal to restricted free-agent running back Sean Tucker on Wednesday, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Tucker will most likely return to Tampa for a fourth season and will provide valuable RB depth behind starter Bucky Irving and newcomer Kenneth Gainwell. The 24-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Syracuse saw a career-high 86 rushing attempts last year for 320 yards and a career-best seven rushing touchdowns in 17 games played. Tucker added eight receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown through the air as he saw increased playing time due to Irving missing extended time in 2025 with an injury. Because he'll be the RB3 to open the 2026 season if he sticks in Tampa, Tucker won't be on the fantasy radar in most single-year fantasy leagues, but he'll be a high-priority waiver addition if Irving were to miss time with an injury again.
From RotoBaller
