Cardinals pick up fifth-year option on Kyler Murray’s contract; will it be Arizona QB’s long-term answer?


The Cardinals picked up quarterback Kyler Murray’s fifth-year option Wednesday, a sign of the team’s faith in the two-time Pro Bowl selection in the midst of a drama-filled offseason.

However, while things appear to be copacetic for the franchise and its star quarterback in the short term, question marks still loom over the long-term viability of the partnership.

Murray, the 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, is now due to receive nearly $30 million guaranteed in 2023, a healthy increase from the $5.4 million he will earn in 2022 between his base salary and roster bonuses.

A long-term deal of some sort would be the next step if the Cardinals view Murray as their franchise QB going forward, but it may take a while to come to a resolution on that front.

IYER: Top 10 quarterbacks available in the 2022 NFL Draft.

What’s next for Kyler Murray and the Cardinals?

There was a time when people weren’t sure if Murray was going to stay in Arizona for much longer. The Cardinals got off to a blistering start in 2021, with a 7-0 record. But they struggled in the second half of the season and finished 11-6. Their season culminated with a disastrous 34-11 loss to the Rams in the wild card game.

Shortly after the Super Bowl, Murray deleted all references to Arizona from his Instagram, an ominous sign for Cardinals fans. Murray was awful in his playoff debut, completing 19 of 34 throws for 137 yards and two picks. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that Murray felt he was being made the scapegoat for Arizona’s late-season woes. Meanwhile, sources within the organization claimed that Murray was “self-centered, immature and someone who points fingers.”

General manager Steve Keim had emphasized that Murray was part of Arizona’s present and future plans throughout the offseason. However, the team had yet to present a viable long-term contract offer to Murray and his agent back in February, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

As the offseason progressed, however, it appeared that tensions had begun to thaw. Former Cardinals teammates Chase Edmonds and Patrick Peterson defended Murray on the “All Things Covered” podcast, saying Arizona had yet to cultivate a winning culture in the locker room, a frustration for a player of Murray’s caliber.

“I’ve been around [Murray],” Peterson said. “He’s a competitor … And I feel like, no disrespect to the Arizona Cardinals, I feel like they don’t put the team in a position to be successful year in and year out. And Kyler Murray is not going to sit back and wait for that.”

Murray’s response to his former teammates’ claims was brief, but poignant. In a tweet, the former No. 1 overall pick reaffirmed his desire to stay in Arizona and win a title with the Cards.

Meanwhile, Keim was adamant that the Cardinals were not planning to trade Murray, saying last week that there was a “zero percent chance” Murray would be moved, according to ESPN.

Murray is one of the NFL’s most dynamic quarterbacks. Throughout his career, Murray has averaged nearly six yards per carry. In addition, he has been blessed with an absolute cannon of an arm. He has developed an effective partnership with DeAndre Hopkins – Hopkins has racked up nearly 2,000 receiving yards in his 26 games with the Cardinals, most of which have come with Murray under center.

Murray does have some weaknesses, however. He can get nervous under pressure, something that was evident amid fervent pressure from Los Angeles’ front seven in January.

Murray says he wants to win a title with the Cardinals. And at his best, he seems capable of achieving it. However, it remains to be seen what Murray’s ceiling is. Outside of Nick Foles (who made the postseason as a backup in 2017), every QB who has won a Super Bowl since 2014 did so by throwing for more than 4,000 yards. Murray has never reached that total in his career.

For the Cardinals to be the best, they have to beat the best. With Murray’s future now settled, Arizona hopes to do just that. The Cardinals turn their attention to the draft, hoping to add the pieces necessary to claim the NFC West, and possibly more.

Kyler Murray career stats.

Year Passing yards Passing yardage (TD) INTs Comp. % Running yards Career TDs
2019 3,722 20 12 64.4% 544 4
2020 3,971 26 12 67.2% 819 11
2021 3,787 24 10 69.2% 423 5




Reference-www.sportingnews.com

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