Welcome to the silly season of the NFL calendar. The new league year is almost here, but before then, or even some time afterwards, there is time for some somewhat off-the-wall discussions/thought experiments based on recent happenings in the NFL world. With that, let’s kick back, take an adult beverage or two, and have at it.
This past Tuesday, the Arizona Cardinals indicated that they were going to cut QB Kyler Murray. The former #1 overall pick played for the Cardinals since that draft in 2019, even earning a nice second contract to be the potential face of the franchise. However, that hasn’t worked out as hoped. This past season, a combination of injury and ineffectiveness saw Murray relegated to the bench in favor of Jacoby Brissett. No disrespect to Brissett, but if he is seen as a better QB option than you (you = Murray), then your time in an organization is up. Arizona is making this move, even knowing that they will be carrying a massive dead cap hit.
What does that have to do with the Houston Texans? On the surface, not much. Houston appears set at QB. Stroud, even in spite of his recent playoff debacle, is seen as the unquestioned starter. Davis Mills is set to return as the team’s QB2. After that, you have 2025 6th round pick Graham Mertz, who dressed for a couple of games, but logged no significant game time. While no one would want to replace Stroud with Murray right now, there might be a possibility that Houston could add Murray as a potential backup, sending Mills out. Besides, there was a time when a few internet rumors discussed bringing Murray to Houston in 2022, so there is some history.
While this article will not advocate a position, it will present some thoughts on the following question:
Should the Texans consider bringing in Murray as a backup QB option for the Texans in 2026?
Given the salary cap considerations for the Texans, the potential to upgrade at backup QB plus Houston’s rather aggressive trade actions this past week, this thought experiment does have some slight plausibility. However, the biggest factor is Murray himself. Once released, he is free to engage with any team interested in his services. There will be multiple teams on the lookout for a starting QB like him, with places like Minnesota and the New Jersey Jets leading the way. Likely, he’ll want to prove himself a starter. He won’t get that in Houston. Yet, if the market doesn’t work to his liking, then Murray considers Houston. However, the odds suggest that Mills remains the primary backup, and if Murray enters the confines of NRG in 2026, it will be as an opposing QB.