49ers may finally get rid of a nagging thorn in their side without lifting a finger

A quarterback carousel occurs every offseason. And this offseason carousel figures to be no different, and longtime Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray may be on the move, which is probably a relief for the San Francisco 49ers.

Murray has been with Arizona since 2019, and while the Cardinals have never truly been all that good since he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick that year, he has still been a thorn in San Francisco’s side.

In nine starts against the Niners, Murray has a record of 4-5 with 1,914 passing yards and 13 touchdown passes compared to five interceptions. He also has 459 career rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns against San Francisco in his career. 

Those are solid numbers, and no matter how good or bad the Cardinals have been over the years, trying to game plan for Murray is always a nightmare. He’s one of the quickest quarterbacks in the NFL and can make so many plays with his legs when he gets out of the pocket.

The former Heisman Trophy winner has put up solid numbers overall in his career. Murray has completed 67.1 percent of his passes in his career for a collective 20,460 yards and has 121 touchdown passes compared to 60 interceptions, which is a respectable ratio.

Put Murray on a good team, and he would be a solid quarterback. So he will probably have a fair number of teams interested this offseason as the Cardinals seem likely to trade him.

There’s already been some movement at the quarterback position this offseason. The Atlanta Falcons plan to release Kirk Cousins, and the Miami Dolphins seem likely to move on from Tua Tagovailoa. 

Even the 49ers have a decision to make on their backup quarterback, Mac Jones, as he proved last season that he is more than capable of being a serviceable starting quarterback in the right situation.

We will see how it all unfolds, but the Cardinals have a new coach in Matt LaFleur, so they may opt for a fresh start at quarterback as well. Arizona's general manager has reportedly not talked with Murray. Maybe whoever becomes the long-term option in Arizona will be a solid QB, but the Niners have to be excited they may not have to face their NFC West foe twice a year going forward.