The Arizona Cardinals have locked up their franchise quarterback through 2028. Kyler Murray once contemplated playing baseball instead of football, it looks like he made the correct decision. Murray signed a five-year, $230.5M contract this past week. This contract makes Murray the second highest annually paid quarterback in the NFL. He will make about $46.1M a season.
Right Move For Arizona?
There seem to be a few questions about Kyler’s new deal. The Cardinals paid Kyler Murray fairly early into his NFL career. The Cardinals and Kyler have been a headline all off-season. In a statement made by his agent, it became clear that Kyler wanted an extension before the season. Extensions rarely occur before, during, or even right after draft season. Making right now the perfect time to get contracts out of the way.
One of the bigger questions around the huge extension is Kyler’s accolades. Yes, he has been very good in the short amount of time he’s laced up in the NFL. But becoming the second highest paid QB in the NFL will draw some attention to you. There’s no question the Cardinals have underperformed the last few years. Last year, the Cardinals looked like the team to beat in the NFC. That was until they lost their number one target, Deandre Hopkins. In fairness, losing a huge part of your offense is difficult to bounce back from
Why Did The Cardinals Sign Him So Early?
There are questions about whether Kyler deserved the contract or not, but you have to look at the bigger picture. Kyler Murray has consistently overwhelmed defenses and had a strong case through most of last season as MVP. You also can’t fault Kyler Murray for every single one of the Cardinals’ shortcomings. There will be games where he could have done more, but blaming him for everything is a bit much.
Truthfully, the Cardinals didn’t have much of a choice. It was either to extend Kyler or let him walk and revert to mediocrity. The CAP is only going to continue to climb, and Lamar is about to get paid as well. In five years, this Cardinals probably won’t seem nearly as handcuffed.
Time Will Tell
Kyler is still young and he has plenty of time to mature as an NFL QB. He has a dynamic skillset and a talented arm. The last time we saw him, things didn’t necessarily go well. But the Cardinals also lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions. It was Kyler’s first playoff appearance, and he has plenty to learn from. As does his head coach, Kliff Kingsbury. Some believe Kingsbury may be on the hot seat this season if his team takes another nosedive after a strong start.
Kingsbury getting fired doesn’t seem all that certain at the moment, but things can get uncomfortable if the Cardinals can’t get over the hump. Arizona has become very active in acquiring players, and this mentality typically isn’t opposed to coaching turnover if they lack success. It is an exciting time for football in Arizona. Can 2022 be the year of the red birds? Let us know what you think!
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