Day: February 25, 2026

Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals are headed for a breakup, but the speed and messiness of that is to be determined. Murray’s camp would prefer the Cardinals cut him, so the quarterback can enter free agency, per a league source. The QB’s camp is set to meet with the team this week in Indianapolis, but they don’t expect an answer on his future from Arizona. Murray’s camp feels that he’ll be the top QB on the market if he hits free agency. Certainly, the 28-year-old will be among the most sought-after quarterbacks in free agency alongside Malik Willis. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have grown “frustrated” with Murray, according to a team source. There are questions about his work ethic, which have dogged him in Arizona for years. His quiet personality has also raised concerns about his leadership. But in Arizona, the team is concerned that he will no longer be the same player he was before his ACL tear in 2022, especially after a sprained foot cost him 12 more games last season. His mobility is “shot,” the source said, and Murray doesn’t appear suited to transition into a pure pocket passer, either. If he’s unwilling or unable to run, he likely can’t be as effective as he once was. Despite what is clearly a fractured relationship, Arizona could save significant cap space if it finds a trade partner. He has two years left on his five-year, $230 million contract. “I’d say all options are on the table for us,” Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort told reporters at the NFL Combine. Despite the uncertainty, Ossenfort was optimistic about his relationship with Murray when speaking with the media. “Yeah, I’ve always had a good dialogue with Kyler,” Ossenfort said. “And I’d say [last season] wasn’t up to what Kyler wanted. It wasn’t up to what any of us wanted as a season as a whole. “And, so, when you have the kind of year that we had, there’s a lot of room for improvement, and so we got to find a way to do that, not only at that position, in all positions, but that’s what we’re all focused on, is getting better and moving forward.” In 2025, Murray began the season as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback, but he finished the season on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury. Prior to the injury, he completed 68.3% of his passes for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions in five games. In Murray’s absence, backup Jacoby Brissett was prolific in the offense, with 3,366 passing yards for 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. While Brissett is likely to stick around in Arizona, the team will no doubt explore its options for a new QB1, pending Murray’s departure. As for Murray’s next home, he has often been linked to the Jets, who need a quarterback. But New York has several assistant coaches who worked for the Cardinals while Murray was there, including offensive line coach Steve Heiden. If the Cardinals have concerns about Murray’s work ethic or health, the Jets will have the same inside information. That’s why one source familiar with the Jets’ possible interest in Murray called it “a really bad fit.” It’s possible the Miami Dolphins, the Pittsburgh Steelers or even the Kansas City Chiefs (with Patrick Mahomes potentially missing time due to the ACL injury) could bring Murray aboard. It’s abundantly clear he won’t playing his home games in Arizona next season.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Jimmie Johnson has done it all: NASCAR, INDYCAR and off-road racing, among other forms of motorsports. What’s next for the NASCAR Hall of Famer and seven-time Cup Series champ? Driving a Trophy Truck in the Mint 400 on March 8. “I’ve always wanted to go back. I thought maybe short-course racing would be that kind of reentry point,” Johnson, who drove in the 2026 Daytona 500, said about why he’s set to drive a Trophy Truck next month on the latest edition of “SPEED With Harvick And Burton.” “I grew up racing with the Herbst family, and they have second-, third-generation racers now in that series, and, obviously, Riley Herbst is in the Cup Series. But Troy Herbst has offered so many times: ‘Come play. Come back. You won’t believe what the trucks do.’ “The last Trophy Truck race I was in was in 1995, and so, I’ve had some curiosities around it, and I went and tested it in October, and it just blew my mind. I’m like, ‘I got to do this.’” [MOTORSPORTS: ‘SPEED With Harvick And Buxton’ Reignites Iconic Brand] On that note, Johnson will also race for TRICON Garage in the June 19 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series street race at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, near his El Cajon hometown. Johnson raced full-time on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit at Hendrick Motorsports from 2002-2020 and 20 years total (2001-20). He has also driven in a combined 15 Cup Series races since 2023 for his own team, Legacy Motor Club, highlighted by finishing third in the 2025 Daytona 500. Johnson won seven Cup Series titles (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2016), which puts him in a three-way tie with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most in NASCAR history; he won 83 races total, which is tied with Cale Yarborough for sixth in Cup Series history. [BEST OF THE BEST: Kevin Harvick and Will Buxton on the best drivers ever] “I’ve always wanted to find the right balance of bucket list races or unique experiences to do,” Johnson said. “I was hyper-focused in my Cup career and just drove Cup cars and always envied guys that moved around a bit. And then thinking of the time I spent on the couch with my dad and my grandfather, and my grandfather’s opinion of Mario Andretti, because he went anywhere and raced anything. And [A.J.] Foyt. There were these examples that kind of stuck in the back of my mind. I’m certainly not doing that, but I want to experience stuff. “I’m at that stage of life where I really want to challenge myself, and I have a great partner in Carvana, and they’re like, ‘Yeah, no finish lines. What’s the tagline?’ And now, it’s kind of chasing bucket-list items.” Johnson raced two seasons in INDYCAR, running a combined 29 races with Chip Ganassi Racing from 2021-22. But wait, there’s more. Johnson will be the crew chief for INDYCAR legend Dario Franchitti, as the latter races in the Truck Series this Saturday at the OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. Petersburg. What keeps the 50-year-old Johnson wanting more? “I’m just one of those idiots who likes to keep going,” Johnson said. “It’s been an interesting journey as a full-time driver and stepping away from the famed [No.] 48 [car]. Now I have time to reflect on it, but in-between there, I was at Ganassi for a couple of years in the INDYCAR Series and again found myself walking away from an incredible opportunity, and I really thought there was something wrong with me. “But now I’ve found this different balance of life and probably working more hours and doing more than I did before. But it’s something new and a new challenge and a new chapter, and I’m truly enjoying it — and a lot of racing.” This Sunday is a double-dip of high-stakes racing on FOX, as the 2026 INDYCAR season begins with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at noon ET, followed by the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at 3:30 p.m. ET, the third race on the 2026 NASCAR schedule. Follow “SPEED” on YouTube, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and TikTok.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — New Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken raved about the “elite” skills he’s seen from Shedeur Sanders. Only he hasn’t seen enough to hand him the starting quarterback job. In fact, Monken declared it an “open competition” for that job, presumably between Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson — and possibly even others. It’s the kind of messy, almost untenable situation the Browns have dealt with at quarterback since trading away Baker Mayfield three years ago. And it’s a mess that will likely linger over the franchise all summer long, and maybe longer. “I don’t know why it wouldn’t be an open competition,” Monken said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “And I don’t mean that harshly, but I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple of years one way or the other to say, ‘Boy, we have a starter at quarterback’ yet.” That’s probably true. Despite the unabating hype of his many supporters, the 24-year-old Sanders had an unremarkable rookie season. The fifth-round pick did close out the year as the starter and produced some highlight-reel plays. But like most rookies, he was bogged down by inconsistency. He completed just 56.6% of his passes while throwing for seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Gabriel, the Browns’ 25-year-old third-round pick, wasn’t much better, but he was a bit steadier in his six starts (and 10 appearances). He completed 59.9% of his passes for seven touchdowns and just two interceptions. The Browns, however, went 1-5 when Dillon started and 3-4 with Sanders. And Sanders was clearly the more electric of the two. Even Monken intimated he has a high ceiling. “I think what you see is elite playmaking ability,” Monken said. “That’s in him. You’ve seen it. We’ve seen it. You saw it in college. You saw it on tape last year. Sure, there’s a ways to go. What first-year player doesn’t have a long way to go? So I’m excited to get started with him.” But Sanders isn’t the only quarterback that seemed to excite Monken. Making the situation even more complicated in Cleveland is the possible return of the now-30-year-old Watson, who is finally entering the final year of the fully guaranteed, $230 million contract that has weighed down the franchise since they traded for him in 2022. He hasn’t appeared in a game since October 2024, when he suffered the first of two tears to his right Achilles tendon, so he’s probably a long shot to beat out Sanders or Gabriel. But if he’s healthy, Monken said it would be “completely unfair” to rule him out. “I think any time that you have a player that, at one time, has exhibited the skill set at an elite level, I think you’re always going to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we might be able to get that out of him again,” Monken said. “And I think that’s how you should look at every player. I’m going to let it play out. “Now you’re going to have some preconceived notions, obviously, because we have prior evidence. But I don’t decide who plays. The players decide who plays.” And it’s possible that Sanders, Gabriel and Watson won’t be the only quarterbacks in that process either. Both Monken and general manager Andrew Berry hinted over the past two days that the Browns could even add another quarterback to the mix, either via free agency or the draft. The Browns presumably will pass on taking a QB with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 draft, but they have another first-round selection (No. 24) and a high second-rounder (No. 39). Adding a quarterback that high seems crazy on one hand. At the same time, it sounds like a very Browns thing to do. Just last year, they selected Gabriel and Sanders with consecutive selections. For now, though, there are only three QBs in the competition, and Monken doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to name a starter. While he’d ideally prefer to know his No. 1 by the start of training camp, he seemed willing to let the indecision that has haunted the franchise for several years go on longer than that. “You would hope that’s the case, that by the time you get to training camp the reps that you’re giving to a quarterback is for your starter,” he said. “Whether we get to that place, I don’t know. That’ll be determined in the offseason as part of it. It’s just another part of the piece.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports