Kyler Murray‘s contract holdout with the Arizona Cardinals starts with skipping the team’s offseason workout program.
The Cardinals start their preparations for the 2022 season today, as with six other NFL teams.
But Murray and his agent, Erik Burkhardt, are solid in their decision to not join any team activity until the quarterback gets his contract extension.
However, the team doesn’t have to press the panic button yet because several players are expected to not participate in the offseason conditioning.
As the #AZCardinals begin their offseason conditioning today, QB Kyler Murray and many of the teams veterans will stay away and train on their own rather than attend the voluntary workouts, sources say. This has been communicated as the plan for several weeks.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 19, 2022
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport tweeted, “As the #AZCardinals begin their offseason conditioning today, QB Kyler Murray and many of the teams’ veterans will stay away and train on their own rather than attend the voluntary workouts, sources say. This has been communicated as the plan for several weeks.”
However, Murray’s camp will continue to pressure the Cardinals.
The former Oklahoma standout argues that his presence helped the Cardinals transform from a 3-13 team to a playoff contender.
Likewise, they also point out that Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes received their contract extensions by their third NFL season.
While Murray’s numbers pale compared to those two, he will not budge from his demand.
After all, he would like to cash in now that the quarterback market is surging.
The Price Tag For Quarterbacks Just Went Up
Recent contract extensions put the base rate for franchise quarterbacks at $40 million annually.
Matthew Stafford received a four-year, $160 million deal from the Los Angeles Rams, while Dak Prescott has the same contract with the Dallas Cowboys.
On the other hand, Aaron Rodgers established the ceiling with his three-year, $150 million deal.
In that case, Murray and Burkhardt won’t settle for anything less than that Stafford and Prescott’s annual average value.
They did not dictate a price tag, and they are making their offer based on prevailing trends.
Therefore, it’s the Cardinals’ turn to start the negotiations.
NEXT: 3 Reasons Kyler Murray Deserves A New Deal Now
Robert Pender says
I think all professional athletes should be required to complete a 15 minute class to learn the definition and real meaning of a “contract”. Getting paid huge salaries for what you may do is ridiculous. Compensation should be based on what you have delivered.