Steelers must pounce if Cardinals QB Kyler Murray becomes available

A recent report suggests that Kyler Murray isn’t guaranteed to stay with the Cardinals. Here’s why the Steelers should be the first team to pounce if he becomes available. 

Going from Ben Roethlisberger to Kyler Murray seems like a pipe dream for the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, every now and then, an NFL franchise can go from one great quarterback to the next.

Over the past decade, the Dallas Cowboys have gone straight from Tony Romo to Dak Prescott, the Indianapolis Colts went from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck, and the Los Angeles Chargers went straight from Philip Rivers to Justin Herbert.

Sadly, not every team is quite so fortunate (Browns fans know exactly what I’m talking about). Teams can go decades without finding the right man for the job at the quarterback position, and my biggest fear is that the Steelers could suffer another QB drought like they did in the 80s and 90s.

Most of the rumored veteran quarterback options that could become available are both old and expensive, and this doesn’t seem like the route the Steelers would be willing to go this offseason. However, that could change if one name, in particular, is added to the trade block.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has been making headlines all offseason for his subliminal messages on social media, and he become the center of discussion when he removed all Cardinals-related posts from his Instagram account.

Recently, our own FanSided NFL insider, Matt Lombardo, talked to an agent who represents multiple NFL quarterbacks and he compared Kyler Murray’s current situation to both Russell Wilson’s in Seattle and Baker Mayfield’s in Cleveland. Here’s a quote from Lombardo’s source:

"“The worry with Kyler is whether he can hold up over the course of a 17-game season, as we saw this year… This feels like Arizona’s going to be in a similar spot to the Browns with Baker Mayfield. I’m not so sure they wind up caving and giving him a long-term deal.”"

Personally, I think it would be foolish of Arizona not to pay their 24-year-old franchise quarterback. Though he doesn’t yet have playoff success, Murray is going to earn himself a sizable payday, and as an MVP candidate this past season, he has shown why his name belongs in the discussion among the most valuable, young quarterbacks in the league.

Steelers should pounce at trade opportunity for Murray

If for some reason the Cardinals do make him available for trade, the Steelers should pounce at the opportunity to land the former first overall pick. While he might be bite-sized compared to most NFL quarterbacks, the game is not too big for Murray and he fits today’s description of a franchise quarterback thanks to his good arm and great mobility.

Obtaining a young franchise quarterback like Murray won’t come cheap. In order to do so, the Steelers would not only have to give up multiple first-round picks, but they would also have to turn around and make him one of the richest quarterbacks in the NFL.

While shipping this much draft capital in a potential deal would hurt, it’s hard to put a price on a franchise quarterback — especially one who should have a decade of quality play left in the tank.

One fear many Steelers fans have is that T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick will waste the prime of their careers on a team with below-average quarterback play that could never get them over the hump. Not only would Kyler Murray instantly solve this dilemma, but he would give the Steelers a legitimate chance to make a Super Bowl run in the coming seasons.

The Super Bowl champion Rams have been more aggressive with trades than any team in the league over the past several years, and they sent elite draft capital to Detroit in order to acquire Matthew Stafford last offseason. If the Steelers are serious about being competitive, they should be the first team calling if there’s even a glimmer of hope that Kyler Murray could become available.