Kyler Murray pays tribute to former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon after firing: 'Loved going to war with you'

6 days ago 2

In his final season as the Arizona Cardinals' head coach, Jonathan Gannon essentially benched Kyler Murray. With Murray battling injuries, Gannon said in November that Jacoby Brissett would remain the starter even if Murray came back healthy.

That situation never manifested, as Murray eventually missed the rest of the season due to a foot injury. The former No. 1 overall pick played in just five games, and heads into the offseason with major questions about his future following everything that transpired in 2025.

But if Murray is upset about the way Gannon handled things this year, the quarterback isn't showing it publicly. Following Gannon's firing Monday, Murray sent out a heartfelt message paying tribute to his former head coach.

In a tweet, Murray said he "genuinely loved going to war" with Gannon.

Murray's response came as a surprise, especially after it appeared the long-time starter was benched by Gannon in 2025. The circumstances behind that benching, however, were a bit muddled.

With Murray sidelined with his foot injury, Brissett stepped in as the team's starter and put up some promising numbers in his first three games. Following a Week 9 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Gannon was asked about Brissett's status as the starter. During his postgame comments, Gannon said Murray would still be the team's starter when he was healthy.

Less than 24 hours later, the coach appeared to change his mind, saying Brissett would remain the team's starter even if Murray came back.

Gannon was never put in that position, as Murray was unable to return the rest of the way.

The 33-year-old Brissett continued to build on his strong start, and put up decent numbers for the Cardinals down the stretch, finishing with 23 touchdowns against eight interceptions. But the veteran couldn't lead the team to wins, finishing 1-11 on the year.

The strong performance may have been enough to keep Brissett in Arizona next season. He originally signed a two-year deal with the team that runs through 2026, though the Cardinals have an easy out this offseason. He may have made that decision much easier on the team.

For Murray, things could get more complicated. The 28-year-old has had moments of brilliance during his career, but hasn't been able to build off them in recent seasons. Murray is still owed a fair amount of money after signing a five-year, $230 million extension with the Cardinals in 2022, so parting ways with the passer could prove difficult.

But after another year in which Murray failed to progress, the former No. 1 overall pick's NFL future is murky. Whether Murray gets another opportunity to start next year will likely depend on who the Cardinals hire, and how they feel about Murray's ability.

Murray probably wouldn't be in this position if not for Gannon. Despite that, the quarterback still has love for his former head coach.

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