Kyler Murray’s Agent Releases Statement Saying They Gave Cardinals Contract Proposal

Via Adam Schefter, the agent for Cardinals QB Kyler Murray released a statement saying, among many things, they have submitted a contract proposal to the team. 

A statement from Cardinals’ QB Kyler Murray’s agent, @ErikBurkhardt: pic.twitter.com/qsWGZIZ0jB

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2022

Burkhardt wrote that Murray wants to stay in Arizona for the long haul and continue to build on the progress the team has made in his first three seasons. 

However, in order to do that, Murray wants to see a commitment from the organization in the form of an extension, presumably a lucrative one. 

“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. To overtly communicate Kyler’s desire to be the Cardinals’ long-term QB, we sent a detailed contract proposal to the organization. It was important to Kyler that his contract reflected all of the following: provides financial protection, is in line with the current QB market that compares his results alongside relevant comps, lowers his 2022-2023 salary cap number to allow the Cardinals to re-sign other deserving teammates and add additional free agents, and most importantly represents a real commitment from the organization to see if their ultimate goals align with his two above (consistently competing for championships and Kyler being their QB).”

Burkhardt went on to say “actions speak much louder than words” and appeared to put the ball firmly in Arizona’s court regarding a deal. 

Tom Pelissero adds if Murray does not get a long-term deal this offseason, he does not expect him to play for just the $5.5 million he’s due in 2022, which means a holdout could be in the works. 

Murray removed any mention of the Cardinals from his social media accounts earlier this offseason, which led to reports that Arizona views Murray as immature and lacking leadership.

Murray later posted the following statement:

“I play this game for the love of it, my teammates, everyone who has helped me get to this position that believed in me (and) to win championships,” Murray wrote. “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.”

The Cardinals issued a statement of their own, saying:

“Nothing has changed regarding our opinion and high regard for Kyler Murray,” the statement read. “We as a team and Kyler individually have improved each year he’s been in the league. We are excited to continue that improvement in 2022 and are excited that Kyler Murray is the quarterback leading us.”

Murray, 24, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Cardinals after making the decision to pursue an NFL career, despite being drafted in the first round by the Oakland A’s in 2018. 

Murray signed a four-year, $35,158,644 deal that included a $23,589,924 signing bonus.  The contract has a fifth-year option for the Cardinals to pick up in 2022.

In 2021, Murray appeared in 14 games for the Cardinals and completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 3,787 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 423 yards and five touchdowns.

We’ll have more regarding Murray and the Cardinals as the news is available.