Murray, Cardinals agree to contract through 2028 season
Newslooks- TEMPE, Ariz. (AP)
The drama is over and the decision is in: Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals have made a long-term commitment to each other with a new contract that would keep the quarterback in the desert through the 2028 season.
The two-time Pro Bowl selection was taken with the No. 1 overall pick out of Oklahoma after he won the Heisman Trophy and has largely delivered in his quest to make the Cardinals a better franchise.
The team announced the new contract on Thursday. ESPN reported that the contract could be worth $230.5 million, with $160 million guaranteed.
Murray’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment
Murray’s new contract puts him on par with other young star quarterbacks throughout the league like Buffalo’s Josh Allen, who signed a deal worth more than $250 million last season.
Listed at just 5-foot-10, some around the NFL worried Murray was too short to be a dominant NFL quarterback, but his stats through three seasons prove otherwise.
He’s completed nearly 67% of his passes through 46 career games for 11,480 yards and 70 touchdowns while rushing for 1,786 yards and 20 TDs. Murray is particularly good at extending plays with his feet, using his scrambling ability for spectacular gains
Arizona had a 5-10-1 record during his rookie season in 2019 but the Cardinals improved to 11-6 last season before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card round during the playoffs.
The deal brings an end to a strange, passive-aggressive offseason contract squabble. At one point, Murray wiped his social media accounts of all references to the Cardinals and it wasn’t clear whether the franchise was ready to make a long-term investment.
Now that’s all cleared up and Murray can take the field for training camp next week knowing his football future is secure. The Cardinals face plenty of challenges in 2022, including navigating the first six games without star receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who was suspended for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
