News & Info/Headlines

No More Mystery: Kyler Murray Wants To Get Paid... Soon
After a period of mysterious social media activity, reports of concerns about his maturity and a subsequent vote of confidence from owner Michael Bidwill, Kyler Murray is making two things clear: He's committed to remaining with the Cardinals long-term, and he "desperately wants to win the Super Bowl."

He also wants to get paid.

Murray's agent, Erik Burkhardt, released a lengthy statement Monday saying the star quarterback has sent a detailed contract proposal to the Cardinals.

Burkhardt stated that in order to consistently compete for championships, the franchise needs long-term stability, which Murray is offering.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported earlier this month that Murray, who recently scrubbed any reference to the Cardinals from his Instagram account, is frustrated with the franchise, was embarrassed by the team's 34-11 playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams and thinks he has been made the scapegoat.

Last Friday, Bidwill made it known Murray was part of the team's "long-term plan."

Seems likely we'll find out soon enough how much that might cost Bidwill and the Cardinals.

Murray is scheduled to make about $5.4 million in 2022, with a base salary of $965,000 and a $4.5 million roster bonus that's fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year.

While Burkhardt did not provide specific details, he said Murray's proposal is "in line with the current quarterback market" but lowers Murray's 2022-23 salary cap number to allow the Cardinals to re-sign "other deserving teammates and add additional free agents."

As ESPN.com points out, there is recent precedent around the NFL for Murray's proposal of a long-term extension after his third season. Fellow quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Deshaun Watson, Jared Goff, Carson Wentz and Ryan Tannehill all signed lucrative deals after their third seasons in the league.

“Actions speak much louder than words in this volatile business,” Burkhardt's statement says. “It is now simply up to the Cardinals to decide if they prioritize their rapidly improving, 24-year-old, already 2-time Pro Bowl QB, who led the organization from three wins before his arrival to 11-wins and their first playoff appearance in five years.”

Murray is heading into the fourth year of his five-year rookie contract in 2022, and the Cardinals will surely exercise the fifth-year option to keep him in 2023.

Whether the two sides agree to a deal that extends well beyond that remains to be seen.

Worth noting, during a Sunday evening appearance with the FootballDiehards on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio, SI.com's Howard Balzer reminded listeners the Cardinals have a number of free agents to deal with in coming weeks -- including James Conner, Chase Edmonds, A.J. Green, Christian Kirk and Zach Ertz.

Balzer went on to remind us that some of those other extensions didn't come early in their respective offseasons.

Indeed, Mahomes' big extension came in July (of 2020); Allen's came in August (last year); Goff's extension with the Rams was completed in September of 2019 while Wentz's deal in Philly was done in June of 2019. Tannehill, who was extended by the Titans in March of 2020, was the earliest of all those mentioned.

We'll see how patient Murray is while he waits for his, but based on the Burkhead's statement, the patience ship might have already sailed.

As NFL Network's Peter Schrager suggested on Good Morning Football, this appears to be a "pay him or don't" situation.