The are going to look a lot different in 2026. After replacing head coach Jonathan Gannon with former offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals took the second drastic step of their offseason Tuesday with the news that quarterback Kyler Murray will be released at the start of the new league year. With new leadership and the former No. 1 overall pick leaving Arizona, the Cardinals don't have a set-in-stone quarterback for the 2026 season. Murray's expensive exit could limit their options -- but as they continue a rebuild, there are a number of directions the Cardinals could go at quarterback to lead Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride and more. Here's a ranking of the best 2026 quarterback fits for Cardinals following the news of Murray's release. MORE: Cardinals best 2026 QB options No. 8: Kirk Cousins As things stand, the Cardinals are set to have around $30.7 million in cap space this offseason, , but that number is also before factoring in their decision to release Murray. And for a talent-starved roster, this may not yet be the offseason where the Cardinals pursue a big name at quarterback,whether in free agency or the draft. As LaFleur a se ses his roster, the simplest route for the 2026 season could be to bring in a veteran option for some leadership on a one-year deal. At age 37, Kirk Cousins appears to desire a starting NFL role still -- and Arizona could be his answer. Cousins shouldn't be too expensive, as he's set to be released from his ma sive deal, and he could at least keep the Cardinals somewhat competitive in 2026 as they eye the group of 2027 draft quarterbacks, including Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers and more. The former , and Falcons pa ser has also proven capable of bringing out the best in elite receivers, something Harrison Jr. could benefit from. However, if the Cardinals are going to go the veteran route at quarterback, there are likely better options out there than Cousins, who may prefer a better shot at playoff contention. MORE: No. 7: Jimmy Garoppolo Another veteran free-agent pa ser will be JimmyGaroppolo, who has been spending time with the Los Angeles Rams as a backup to Matthew Stafford. thatGaroppolo is considered a "strong option" for the Cardinals -- not only is Mike LaFleur close with the quarterback from their time in L.A., but Garoppolo could be a temporary starter in Arizona as the team waits to find its next younger option. As Fowler noted, LaFleur and the Cardinals "can create a clean path to restart his quarterback room by adding at least one veteran and drafting a QB," with Garoppolo being one veteran option. While that the Rams want to bring Garoppolo back, it'd likely be hard for the former Super Bowl Daniel Castano Jersey starter to pa s up on a starting opportunity. The "young quarterback with a veteran quarterback tandem" route seems to be in the Cardinals' best interest as they figure out the direction of their franchise. Garoppolo will be among the veteran names to monitor. No. 6: Drew Allar Regardle s of who Arizona brings in as a veteran option, it would be wise for LaFleur and company to have some of the top Day 2 quarterbacks on their board at the 2026 NFL Draft. This year's draft isn't considered especially elite at the position -- Fernando Mendoza, a near-lock to go No. 1 to the , is considered the only quarterback close to a surefire long-term option. Unlike some other teams in need of a quarterback this offseason, the Cardinals have some room to take a shot on the non-Mendoza names in the draft. Realistically, they won't be eyeing the playoffs in 2026. In that case, there are some high-ceiling pa sers in the draft who have flaws, but could also excel if given the platform to do so. Penn State's Drew Allar is one of those names. After being considered a potential first-rounder in 2025, instead returning to the Nittany then going down with an injury, Allar's draft stock has fallen -- but he still has a cannon for an arm that could be utilized in the right system. Especially if he was paired with a veteran in Arizona, Allar would benefit from some room to develop before being given a low-stakes starting shot. The 6-foot-5 pa ser has NFL size, threw well at the combine and has some potential to prove a team right by selecting him on Day 2 in April. The Cardinals don't have much to lose if Allar didn't work out, they could simply turn their sights to the 2027 quarterback cla s. . QB Drew Allar can let it rip too 2026 NFL Combine on Stream on NFL (@NFL) MORE: No. 5: Garrett Nu smeier Garrett Nu smeier is the other top Day 2 quarterback on draft boards, and he is being mocked ahead of Allar. The former LSU star, like Allar, was once considered a potential first-round pick, but the 2025 season didn't move Nu smeier up the boards as anticipated. Nu smeier could be a solid, young pocket pa ser for LaFleur to develop behind a name like Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Bri sett or Kirk Cousins on the depth chart. Decision-making and proce sing are two of the weakne ses in the former Tigers quarterback's game, but a situation like Arizona's would allow Nu smeier to learn before stepping onto an NFL field. Scouts were once high on Nu smeier's arm talent. Whether it's him, Allar, or even the other available options like Carson Beck or Cade Klubnik, keep an eye on the Cardinals and their interest in the second-and-third-round quarterbacks in the draft. No. 4: Tyson Bagent Outside of free agency and the draft, there's another direction Arizona could go: the trade market. A Tua Tagovailoa deal with the certainly won't be happening considering the money the Cardinals already owe Murray, but there have been two other NFL quarterbacks floating around in trade rumors. Both are backups, the first being the ' Tanner McKee, a 2023 sixth-round pick who has had some strong stints as Jalen Hurts' backup. But some reports have indicated that the Eagles have a high asking price for McKee, and the chances of him being moved don't appear incredibly high. The other NFC backup who could be traded is the ' Tyson Bagent, who . Bagent signed with the Bears in 2023, has risen up their depth chart behind Caleb Williams and is under contract through the 2027 season. Considering Bagent has been well-regarded as a backup, owns just four NFL starts (all in 2023) and carries a cap hit of just$4.7 million in 2026, he would be a cheap, low-risk-high-reward option for the Cardinals. The biggest question is Chicago's price point for Bagent if it's anything at or below a third-rounder, the Cardinals should be interested. No. 3: Jacoby Bri sett Here's the easiest option for the Cardinals: go with the quarterback already on the roster. Jacoby Bri sett is entering the second year of a two-year, $12.5 million deal he signed with Arizona last offseason, and he was at least an improvement over Murray in his 12 starts in 2025. Given the Cardinals' change in leadership from Gannon to LaFleur, it's no guarantee Bri sett is brought back in 2026 he carries a cap hit of $9.19 million, which may be more expensive than Arizona desires. However, there's something to be said of Bri sett's leadership and familiarity with the Cardinals' weapons. While the team went just 1-11 in his 2025 starts, Bri sett threw 23 touchdown pa ses vs. eight interceptions with3,366 yards. Trey McBride also became a major weapon in the offense behind Bri sett. In other words, Arizona's air attack was a genuine threat to defenses, which wasn't the case with Murray. Bri sett, entering his age-34 season, would be an easy solution to the quarterback problem, remaining a stop-gap option for 2026 as the Cardinals punt and turn their focus to the long-term. MORE: No. 2: Malik Willis With Murray gone, the Cardinals could attempt a pursuit of another dual-threat option about to hit the open market: Malik Willis. Considered the top pa ser set to hit free agency this offseason, Willis brings some intrigue after performing well for the Green Bay Packers in his limited action in 2025. He should be somewhat familiar to Mike LaFleur -- the coach's brother, Matt LaFleur, just guided Willis for the past few years. With the Cardinals having over $30 million available in free agency, they could commit a bulk of that money to Willis, who had422 pa sing yards and123 rushing yards acro s four games last season. Butit's only a move they'll make if they believe they can contend in 2026. Willis is being treated as a potential "franchise-quarterback-in-waiting" type on this year's market despite not being fully established as a star. Arizona has been connected to Willis this offseason already. Will they bring him in as Murray's succe sor, betting on his upside? Is there anyone who has a similar system or maybe even a similar name? NFL insider Ian Rapoport on Malik Willis landing spots and says the Cardinals make a lot of sense Bo Brack (@BoBrack) No. 1: Ty Simpson Disclaimer: the Cardinals should not use their No. 3 overall pick in April's draft on Ty Simpson. Outside of Mendoza, there aren't any quarterbacks considered worthy of a top-10 pick in this year's cla s, including Simpson. But if Arizona can land Simpson with it's No. 34 overall selection in the second round -- or trade up into the late first to get him -- there would be stronger value. Simpson is almost universally considered the second-best quarterback in the draft, and realistically, he's the best option the Cardinals could get their hands on. While his arm isn't considered anything exceptional, Simpson does stand out with his footwork, proce sing and adjustments, and he could prove to be a good fit for LaFleur's system. Simpson said at the NFL Combine that he met with the Cardinals, It was my first interview, and just super great organization, Simpson told reporters, per Arizona Sports. (General manager Monti O senfort) is a great guy. (Head coach Mike LaFleur) is a super ball guy. (Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett), all those guys, they love football. Theyre a quarterback-driven organization, because theyre very familiar with the quarterback position." I would love to be a Cardinal. I think that theyre a great organization. They got a young team and I would be super ble sed to play for them. Pairing Simpson with a veteran like Bri sett could work for the same reasons as drafting Nu smeier or Allar; Arizona could give Simpson some time to develop and learn, then give him starting opportunities later in the 2026 season. The cost shouldn't be astronomically high to land Simpson, despite him being the No. 2 quarterback on draft boards. If the Cardinals can walk away from the 2026 NFL Draft with a top-end first-round prospect like David Bailey or Arvell Reese, then grab Simpson later on, it'd be hard not to view their draft as a succe s. MORE : Vladimir Gutierrez Jersey