Kyler Murray’s contract extension details: years, salary, guaranteed money, signing bonus and all the rest
While the details of it all may seem confusing, one thing is very simple: Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is going to make a lot of money.
With the Cardinals QB having recently signed a massive contract, he’s now one of the highest paid in the league, but what are the terms of his deal and how much is he guaranteed? Here’s a look at the answers to those questions.
Kyler Murray’s deal is ‘team-friendly’
Now that the details of Kyler Murray’s new contract with the Cardinals have been made public, it’s interesting to note that as general manager Steve Keim said on Friday, the deal does in fact include some aspects that are beneficial to the team itself. On the surface level, Murray has signed a five-year extension that runs through to 2028. In terms of money, the total package is $230.5 million with $160 million guaranteed.
The basics that were reported Thursday are accurate: a five-year extension through 2028 with the new money totaling $230.5 million with $160 million guaranteed. On that note, it should be said that one of the interesting factors in play is that of the ‘total potentially guaranteed.’ As things stand, only $103.3 million was guaranteed when he signed, meaning the remainder is guaranteed only for injury, but can in fact become fully guaranteed in the years that follow. Regarding the ‘team-friendly’ aspects of the deal, it’s understood that there is a total of $9.315 million in offseason workout bonuses and $4.25 million ($850,000 per year and $50,000 per game from 2024-2028) in per-games played roster bonuses. Quite simply, the more he participates and plays, the more he gets paid which can only be a good thing for the Cardinals. Interestingly, the contract actually The contract supersedes the two years that were remaining on his contract, so the total value for seven years is $265.7 million.
What about the bonuses for Kyler Murray?
According to reports, Murray received a $29.035 million signing bonus. Said bonus will prorates from 2022 to 2026 at $5.807 million per year against the cap. In addition, the QB will also be paid a $36 million guaranteed option bonus in 2023 that will count another $7.2 million against the cap from 2023 through 2027. Where his base salary is concerned, it would appear that Murray is guaranteed $965,000 this year; $2 million in 2023; $37 million with $35.3 million guaranteed in 2024; $18 million guaranteed at signing for injury in 2025 (fully guaranteed by 2024); $22.835 million in 2026; $19.5 million in 2027 (guaranteed in 2026) and $34 million in 2028.
Yes, there are also offseason roster bonuses which stand at $11.9 million in 2025, $17 million in 2026, $14.185 million in 2027 and $7.7 million in 2028. Regarding 2026, there is a guarantee of $26.8 million for injury at signing with $36.8 million fully guaranteed by 2025. Curiously, Murray is actually set to earn offseason workout bonuses that are significantly higher than the norm. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick will receive $1 million in 2023 and 2024; $1.8575 million in 2025 and 2026; and $1.8 million in 2027 and 2028. If that wasn’t enough, he will also receive a bonus of $2 million for reporting to training camp in 2028.
How do things work where Murray’s cap charge is concerned?
Despite initial reports suggesting that Murray’s cap charge would decrease this year, it’s not going to be the case. Having seen his signing bonus replace the $4.5 million roster bonus, his cap number actually increased from $11.387 million to $12.669 million. It should be said that it included everything from his base salary, to new signing bonus proration as well as the remaining proration of $5.897 million from his rookie contract. What this means, is that his cap charge in 2023 will only be $16.007 million, however, it will jump to $51.857 million in 2024. Indeed, the number could increase further should he hit salary escalators in the contract. As for the later years, the cap figures stand at $45.6 million in 2025, $55.5 million in 2026, $43.5 million in 2027 and $46.35 million in 2028. The aforementioned escalators total a potential $7.5 million from 2024 to 2028 and are all based on performance in the previous season.
Lastly, there are indeed some very helpful bonuses where the team itself is concerned. Consider the $750,000 bonus that Murray will receive for rushing for at least 600 yards and scoring six touchdowns on the ground. Then, there is an additional $750,000 per year for playing 70% of the regular-season snaps and 70% in the NFC Championship Game plus winning the NFC Championship Game itself.