Kyler Murray headed for franchise-record contract?
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
Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury expects any deal between the Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray to be a record-breaking payday.
Kingsbury told reporters Tuesday that he believes Murray would become the highest-paid player in franchise history. He’s also “praying” that the two sides come to an agreement before next month’s training camp.
“We’re about to make him, I’m sure, the highest-paid player in this franchise’s history and so he understands what comes with that,” Kingsbury said. “The guys know what he can be at his best, and anytime we can get the whole band out there, things pick up.”
"We're about to make him, I'm sure the highest paid player in franchise history." – Kliff Kingsbury on Kyler Murray's contract situation. pic.twitter.com/BIpFoLTDp7
— PHNX Cardinals (@PHNX_Cardinals) June 14, 2022
Issues between Murray and the Cardinals arose earlier this offseason when Murray scrubbed most of his Cardinals-related content from his Instagram and Twitter accounts. But Murray’s attendance at team OTAs seemed to quell any further problems, as did an April report saying that a new deal between the two sides would get done before the season.
Murray will make $5.5 million this season and $29.7 million next year after the Cardinals picked up his fifth-year option for 2023. He would surely like to get a contract resembling that of a Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Deshaun Watson.
Murray is coming off of his second consecutive Pro Bowl season in 2021. In 14 games, the 24-year-old threw for the eighth-most yards per game (270.5) in the NFL, and was second in completion percentage (69.2) behind Joe Burrow. The two-time Pro Bowler threw for 3,787 yards and 24 touchdowns, and ran for 423 yards and five touchdowns on 88 rushes.
