Will Cardinals’ Kyler Murray be traded? “Zero Chance” says Keim
With all of the chatter finally laid to rest, the Cardinals and their QB can now focus on the upcoming season.
Given the kind of movement that we’ve seen during this NFL offseason, one could be forgiving just about any rumor, but there is one that has definitively now been laid to rest and that’s the future of the Cardinals’ QB
The Cardinals’ Kyler Murray is going nowhere
According to reports on Thursday, the speculation surrounding where the Cardinals’ QB will be playing next season can finally end. During a pre-draft press conference with the media, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim was asked if there was any possible chance that the Cardinals could trade Murray, to which Keim responded firmly with, “Zero chance.” Murray himself later took to social media where he responded saying, “I wanna win Super Bowls with the Cardinals,” Murray wrote, “AZ is home.” Interestingly, Murray’s declaration came shortly after former teammate and current Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson’s open speculation about his future.
What did Patrick Peterson say about Kyler Murray?
Prior to Murray’s apparent commitment to the franchise, the eight time Pro-Bowler had suggested that Murray would push for a move if not compensated in the manner he saw fit. Indeed, Peterson even went on to say that Murray’s continual in Arizona on a long term basis could well hinge on how well the Cardinals do this coming season. “No disrespect to the Arizona Cardinals, I feel like they don’t put the team in a position to be successful year after year,” Peterson said. “And Kyler Murray’s not gonna sit around and wait for that.”
Cardinals’ GM explains delay in Kyler Murray’s contract
The relationship between the Cardinals and their playmaker has of course been the subject of intense speculation, since his agent released a statement last month. While one might be quick to believe things are not good between the two parties we have only to consider the fact that this is not the first time that a 3rd year quarterback saw his extension offered in summer. “The way we have approached it is we have free agency, we have the draft, and then we will take a deep breath and sort of refocus,” Keim said “That’s sort of the reason every other player that has been a third-year quarterback has been (extended) in the middle of the summer or late summer. It’s no different for us. Nothing has changed in terms of him being our long-term and short-term quarterback.”
Yes, Kyler Murray is very good
With all of the anticipation surrounding him, one might quickly wonder whether or not the Cardinals’ Kyler Murray is actually worth it, but rest assured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft most definitely is. Just last season Murray’s name was among the short list in the MVP conversation before injuries forced him to miss three games. The Cardinals who had started the season with a red hot 7-0 record ended up finishing 11-6, but they did manage to get their hands on a playoff spot for the first time since 2015. In the end the Cardinals went out in the Wild Card round to eventual champions the Los Angeles Rams, yet for those who watched closely, the signs were there.
What does a Kyler Murray deal look like?
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Murray has a cap hit of just $11.4 million for the upcoming season. With that in mind, the franchise has until May 2nd to pick up Murray’s fifth-year option that would pay him just under $30 million for the 2023 season. That of course is before we consider the numbers involved in contracts that we’ve recently seen awarded to elite QBs. Expect the Cardinals main man to push for a deal that will see him earning in excess of $40 million a year. The QB says he wants to stay and the Cardinals say they want to keep him. Watch this space!