Arizona Cardinals Make Contract Decision on Quarterback Kyler Murray
The Arizona Cardinals have made a big move on their star quarterback. On Wednesday, the team announced they have picked up the fifth-year option on Murray's contract, meaning he will be with the team for two more seasons. According to Joel Corry of CBS Sports, Murray will make close to $30 million in 2023.
This comes as Murray is looking for a new contract with the Cardinals. Murray's agent, Erik Burkhardt, posted a letter he wrote to the Cardinals back in February indicating that his client wants a long-term contract. "Looking ahead, Kyler believes that in order to consistently compete for championships — and ultimately deliver The Valley their first Super Bowl in 33+ years — there needs to be long-term stability for both the organization and himself," the letter stated. "To overtly communicate Kyler's desire to be the Cardinals' long-term QB, we sent a detailed contract proposal to the organization."
Before the letter by Burkhardt, Murray scrubbed his social media accounts of any reference to the Cardinals. That had fans talking, but the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year explained why he made the move. "I play this game for the love of it, my teammates, everyone who has helped me get to this position that believed in me & to win championships," Murray wrote, per USA Today. "All of this nonsense is not what I'm about, never has been, never will be. Anyone who has ever stepped between those lines with me knows how hard I go. Love me or hate me but I'm going to continue to grow and get better."
Murray beat out Baker Mayfield for Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for 3,722 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while rushing for 544 yards and four touchdowns in 2019. He had a breakout 2020 season after throwing for 3,971 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while adding 819 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Last season, the 24-year-old tallied 3,787 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while rushing for 423 yards and five scores.
n January, Murray led the Cardinals to the playoffs, but the team lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round. Murray played college football at Oklahoma and won the Heisman Trophy in 2018 after throwing for 4,361 yards while rushing for 1,001 yards in his final season with the team.