Report sheds light on contract talks between Kyler Murray, Cardinals

Oct 24, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) against the Houston Texans in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Kyler Murray was openly unhappy with the Arizona Cardinals over his contract earlier this offseason, but the narrative surrounding the situation continues to shift.

Murray and the Cardinals have seemingly come a long way since the star quarterback deleted all references to the team from his social media pages. The Cardinals are planning to pick up the fifth-year option on Murray’s rookie contract, but that does not mean they are opposed to signing him to an extension. According to Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic, a new deal is expected for Murray at some point before the start of the 2022 season.

The Arizona Cardinals will be picking up QB Kyler Murray's fifth-year contract by the May 2 deadline, which guarantees him a salary of around $28 million. Both sides are expected to eventually agree to a reworked deal at some point this summer.

— Bob McManaman (@azbobbymac) April 26, 2022

This is the first offseason that Murray is eligible for an extension. He is not scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2023 season, and the Cardinals could franchise tag him at that point. Murray obviously does not want that.

With several star players having been traded this offseason amid contract disputes, there has been some speculation that the same could happen with Murray. The former first overall pick had a strong response to that talk.

The Cardinals have improved in each of Murray’s first three seasons. They made the playoffs last year for the first time since 2015. It goes without saying that they want to keep Murray around. They may be prepared to show him that sooner rather than later.