Cardinals Confirm Sad Update for Kyler Murray’s Teammate After Announcing Roster Decision

The Arizona Cardinals didn’t say it out loud, but their offseason moves spoke volumes. They went all in on defense – Five straight picks in the draft. That part makes sense. Last year’s defense was not that great, ranking 14th. But then they almost ignored the offense. Just one pick, a guard in the sixth round. That’s it. Which kind of sends a mixed message, right? Like they’re saying the offense is just fine, but it’s not. It’s decent, sure, but far from complete. And that brings us to the real message here: this season rests on Kyler Murray‘s shoulders. And just as we are thinking about the upcoming fears, the QB got another major blow on Thursday.

Right before OTAs even got rolling, the Cardinals took a major hit. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on X, “The #AZCardinals have placed CB Sean Murphy-Bunting on the reserve/non-football injury list, ending his 2025 season before it began.”

Murphy-Bunting was one of Kyler Murray’s team’s starting cornerbacks, who is out for the entire season. He landed on the reserve/non-football injury list, and nobody really knows what happened yet, as no official word or details have been released. It’s a tough break, especially since he was coming into the second year of his $25.5 million deal.

The #AZCardinals have placed CB Sean Murphy-Bunting on the reserve/non-football injury list, ending his 2025 season before it began.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 22, 2025

Last season, he brought grit and leadership, starting 15 games and holding his own with three interceptions and over 50 tackles. Kyler Murray’s Arizona was counting on him in the secondary, especially next to Budda Baker. But now, they’re turning to rookie Will Johnson.

The kid out of Michigan was supposed to go top 10, but injury talk pushed him down the board. Anyway, Arizona scooped him up at 47, and it might just turn out to be the steal of the draft. Johnson says he’s ready with no lingering issues. He helped Michigan win a national title and looked like a future star doing it. And now, with Murphy-Bunting gone, Kyler Murray’s Cardinals don’t have time to ease him in. They need him to step up right now. So, it would be interesting to see how well Johnson steps up as the team’s starter.

Meanwhile, Kyler Murray’s Arizona is also expecting someone new in the starter position of the inside linebacker.

Kyler Murray’s Cardinals welcomed a veteran to their roster!

Things are starting to settle across the league, but Arizona made a quiet little shake-up this week. On Wednesday, Kyler Murray’s Cardinals brought in veteran linebacker J.J. Russell on a one-year deal. But they also let go of somebody from the team. To make room, they cut Milo Eifler. However, the reasons behind his release remain undisclosed.

But Russell’s story? It’s one of patience and grind. He came into the league undrafted, bounced around the Bucs’ practice squad, and finally broke through last season. He played all 16 games in 2024, logged a career-high 249 snaps on defense, and was all over special teams on the field for 73% of those snaps. That kind of work ethic doesn’t go unnoticed.

Kyler Murray’s Cardinals clearly saw something in him. And with camp around the corner, adding a guy who knows what it means to fight for a spot? That could matter more than it looks right now.

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