‘The Talent Is Still There’: Bomani Jones Believes Steelers ‘Need’ Kyler Murray

It’s not a good time for an NFL team to find itself needing an answer at quarterback. Yet that’s where the Pittsburgh Steelers will find themselves if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return in 2026. While it’s not an exciting market, names like Kyler Murray, Malik Willis and Tua Tagovailoa are some of the more notable options available.

The former is especially intriguing to Bomani Jones, who doesn’t understand the lack of hype around Murray.

“All these guys we’re looking at, to me, Kyler Murray is a different player than any of these guys that we talked about here. Like, if you’re Minnesota, and the Steelers, in fact, that’s what they need to do,” Jones said Monday on his The Right Time podcast. “If you’re one of these teams that needs a quarterback, and you’re telling me he’s available?… He has never been where Sam Darnold was. Not even close. But I feel like that’s the way we talk about him. The talent is still there. He’s 28… I just don’t see this, Kyler Murray has fallen off completely thing.”

Jones’ argument is understandable. There was a time, a couple of years ago, when Murray seemed destined to take Arizona to new heights. He got the Cardinals off to a 7-0 start back in 2021, but suffered an injury in Week 8 and had to miss a couple of weeks. When he came back, things didn’t get much better. Murray played the final six games and won just two of them. His season then ended with a bad showing in the Wild Card loss to Los Angeles.

Since then, Kyler Murray hasn’t been back to the postseason. And in the 68 possible games he could have played from 2022 to 2025, he’s only actually suited up for 41. He only played in five games last year, losing three of them. Given the lack of consistency and the state the Cardinals are in, it’s understandable why they’d want to move on, despite Murray still having talent.

Yet, if Rodgers retires or signs elsewhere, Murray could be worth a look. He’s got a ton of athleticism and physical talent, and when healthy, has put together some very solid seasons. Mike McCarthy has always been able to get the best out of his quarterbacks, and Murray certainly has some tools to work with.

Contractually, Murray will be pricey, but the Steelers aren’t short on cap space. And in terms of trade value, Murray likely won’t cost much. The fact that the Cardinals haven’t found a trade partner yet is a good sign. However, Murray doesn’t seem to be plan A for the Steelers, and their plan B may already be on the roster. It also feels like the Steelers are going to wait for an answer from Rodgers before making any other big decisions at the position. But until that answer comes, Murray is a name to keep on the back burner.