Even if quarterback Kyler Murray demands to have his contract extension sooner than later, the Arizona Cardinals still have the leverage to retain him for 2023.
In 2022, Murray will be playing the final season of his four-year rookie contract, earning him a base salary of $965,000 while his cap hit reaches $11.3 million.
However, the Pro Bowl quarterback and his agent, Erik Burkhardt, stated that he wouldn’t play unless his second deal was in place.
But the Cardinals have another ace up their sleeve, as The Arizona Republic senior sportswriter Bob McManaman shared.
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
McManaman tweeted, “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.”
While the $28 million is a fully guaranteed amount, it’s still a bargain compared to prevailing trends in the quarterback market.
Likewise, it buys the Cardinals more time to negotiate with Murray.
They will still have the former Oklahoma standout for 2023 if both parties do not agree to a new deal this offseason.
Arizona should prepare for the worst in case Murray asks for a trade.
However, he doesn’t have many options left this deep into the offseason.
The Cardinals Could Still Make A Nice Postseason Push
That the Cardinals allegedly don’t give Murray a scenario to succeed needs more context.
Unfortunately, some of their key players were not healthy during the homestretch last season.
But having everyone back makes them a formidable team.
A receiving corps of DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, and Rondale Moore could be a problem for opposing secondaries.
James Conner is a touchdown machine, and he will have more touches now that Chase Edmonds isn’t around.
Arizona’s defense also remains solid despite Chandler Jones‘ departure.
Therefore, Murray has the weapons to help him succeed.
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