Jets may pounce on Kyler Murray after Cardinals practically gift-wrap him

The New York Jets have been linked to former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray in Aaron Glenn's eternal search for a veteran quarterback, and the Arizona Cardinals may have given the Jets a perfect opportunity to land him.

The Cardinals confirmed that Murray will be released when allowed, and they will eat some of the money owed to him. With so much money guaranteed from Arizona, Murray can be signed for close to the league minimum. That has to be appealing for the Jets.

It can be easy to forget that Murray is not only a once-in-a-generation athlete at the position, but that he was on the fringes of being a top 10 quarterback quite often during the early parts of his tenure in Arizona. Going to the Jets may be what he needs to get the spark back in his career.

Jets may sign Kyler Murray as Cardinals prepare for release

Murray only played in five games last season due to injury, and he was outplayed by Jacoby Brissett in the games he did perform him. On top of his inability to stay healthy, there are some concerns that may not manifest on the field that could make him a less attractive free agent candidate.

On top of the fact that Murray's size and reduced athletic ability could be more of a hindrance with age, there are some rumors about his alleged poor study habits. Those are likely overblown, and there is no way to find out for sure how real they are, but they aren't going away.

Why should the Jets be in the market for him despite all of that and Frank Reich's historical preference for taller quarterbacks? Because when it comes to the pure act of throwing the football and making plays in games, no option on the market is better than Murray. The biggest obstacle, his finances, now seems to be in the rear-view mirror.

Adding Murray for an extremely cheap contract could enable the Jets to build a much more robust team around him with their oodles of cap space. On top of that, he is no longer such a financial burden that he interferes with their plans to possibly bring in a long-term successor in the 2026 or 2027 NFL Drafts.

If Murray does end up validating all of the concerns that followed him out of Arizona, the Jets can still be in a position to let a young quarterback slide in as the starter. Glenn will also be equipped with the best quarterback on the market, which will help him save his job if Murray ends up panning out.