Each week during the NFL offseason we hear rumbling from a player who is still under contract but believes he should get a lucrative extension based on the way the market is skyrocketing.
A few weeks ago that player was Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who scrubbed his Instagram of everything Cardinals in an effort to gain the attention of the franchise’s executive brass. That method of action hasn’t seemed to work as the team reportedly isn’t even in talks with Murray on an extension. Murray is still under team control for two more seasons, so the team isn’t in a rush to extend the dynamic but diminutive former Heisman Trophy winner.
It seems as if the Cards aren’t the only ones who don’t believe Murray’s demands for a contract extension are legit.
FS1s Chris Broussard recently talked about it at length.
“He’s only played three years and most quarterbacks, or many, don’t get an extension at that point,” Broussard said last week on “First Things First.” “Now that makes me question his intangibles and commitment to winning even more. I got five words for you: Jared Goff and Carson Wentz.”
Goff and Wentz, the former No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in the 2016 NFL draft by the Rams and Eagles, respectively, were extended early. Once they secured the bag, things went south for both players, who were eventually traded. That’s how fast you can go from franchise savior to yesterday’s flavor in the National Football League.
https://youtu.be/Zorntn3ypCI
“Those are the guys who got big deals after the third year, and they were mistakes,” Broussard noted. “Goff did more than Kyler did at that point. Unless you’re Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow or Josh Allen, I am not giving you a huge extension after three years.”
Broussard Questions What Murray Has Accomplished Thus Far: Says Cards Should Call His Bluff
Last week reports surfaced about Murray’s agent implying that the QB won’t play without a new deal. NFL analyst Tom Pelissero tweeted about the situation last week.
The #Cardinals have said they want to extend Kyler Murray eventually, and Murray said recently “I'm not really too worried about my future as a Cardinal." But with two weeks until the draft, there are no negotiations, and other teams are watching. A situation to monitor. https://t.co/N0sT3duzgX
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 14, 2022
Broussard is of the mindset that the Cardinals should call Murray and his agent’s bluff.
“Allen has made the most playoffs, twice … Mahomes is a Super Bowl champion. Lamar Jackson an MVP. Joe Burrow obviously got to a Super Bowl. Kyler has yet to throw for 4,000 yards, and last year he didn’t even run for 500.”
Broussard wasn’t done.
“He’s running. … He’s been banged up or injured two of the last three seasons too, so I’m calling his bluff too and not paying.”
Murray Is A Good Quarterback: Cardinals Now Have To Decide If He’s Their Long-Term Franchise Leader
Murray has had some success as the signal caller of the Cardinals. In 2019 he won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, passing for over 3,700 yards and 20 touchdowns. He used his legs to also rush for 544 yards and four more touchdowns.
A statement from Cardinals’ QB Kyler Murray’s agent, @ErikBurkhardt: pic.twitter.com/qsWGZIZ0jB
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2022
Murray has passed for 7,758 yards, 50 touchdowns and 22 interceptions the past two seasons. He also ran for a career-high of 819 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2020.
The Cardinals can ignore Murray’s contract demands, but as the season draws closer they will have to address his unwillingness to report to camp without a long-term financial commitment from Arizona.
An equally important decision for the Cardinals involves the questions surrounding head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who seems to have taken the team about as far as he can. Playing in the ultra-competitive NFC West doesn’t make matters any easier, with the defending champion Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco Niners looming.
This is one of those polarizing situations that will dominate the NFL headlines as the NFL draft passes and training camps start to pop.
