The Arizona Cardinals reached the NFL playoffs for the first time in five years.
It’s a tremendous accomplishment considering that they once were a three-win team.
Results like those lead to rewards for the key personnel that contributed to the improvement.
That said, the Cardinals announced that they will be extending the contracts of head coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim.
Both of them will now be under contract through the 2027 NFL season.
We have reached agreements on contract extensions with GM Steve Keim and Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury.
Each is now under contract with the team through the 2027 season.
Details ➡️ https://t.co/alvgq5X3gQ pic.twitter.com/coaa99l19R
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) March 2, 2022
Kingsbury has been with the team since 2019 and his tenure saw the team go from five to eight to 11 wins.
Meanwhile, Keim is in his 10th season as general manager and 24th overall with the Cardinals.
In an official press release, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said, “The leadership of both Steve and Kliff have been key factors in the team’s turnaround over the last three seasons. We are all looking forward to continuing that progress and recognize these two individuals will be a big part of achieving our long-term goals as an organization.”
Will These Signings Motivate Kyler Murray To Re-Sign?
The extensions given to Keim and Kingsbury are minor developments compared to the bigger issue at hand.
Days ago, quarterback Kyler Murray released a statement through his agent, Erik Burkhardt, that he wants to remain with the team, granted that his contract extension will be their priority.
Perhaps the Cardinals are hoping that having Keim and Kingsbury for the long team will help Murray re-consider his position for at least one more year.
He is due $5.5 million coming into his fourth year with the Cardinals and the team will likely use their fifth-year option on him.
With the head coach and the general manager in tow, the team hopes that Murray’s camp will give them more time to extend talks regarding his extension.
NEXT: NFL Insider Lays Out All Possibilities Of A Kyler Murray Extension