NFC Notes: 49ers, Cardinals, Kyler Murray, Rams

49ers

49ers RT Mike McGlinchey has been rehabbing his season-ending quad injury alongside DT Javon Kinlaw, who is returning from a  torn ACL. McGlinchey notes that Kinlaw is poised to have an incredible season in 2022.

“He looks [unbelievable],” McGlinchey said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “I’ve never seen a human being look like him. He is freaky looking — in the best way possible. . . . He’s gearing up for a hell of a year. Unbelievably motivated, unbelievably determined to prove that he’s a great football player, which we all know he is already. And the maturity that he’s shown in this last year or so, I could not be prouder of him. . . . Expect big things from Javon. I think he’s going to have an unbelievable year. He’s ready to go.”

Cardinals

Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury spoke in detail about QB Kyler Murray now that he has signed a large contract extension with the franchise.

“The contract deal — I feel really good about. I know he’s our future here. The talent is generational in what he can do running with the football,” Kingsbury said, via Ryan Sanudo of SI.com. “Each year you look at the stats, wins anything and it’s gotten dramatically better. That’s what I’ve been really excited about. I knew when we drafted him [that] he had a chance to be [one of the] top guys in the league. The kid’s come in — rookie of the year, back-to-back Pro Bowls. I think he takes criticism. I think some of [it] is unfair for some reasons I won’t get into. We know what he brings and every Sunday [when] we line up with him as the quarterback, we have a real chance at winning in a game.”

Kingsbury believes that with Murray at the helm, the team can compete with any of the other current top franchises in the NFL.

“You see the market for these quarterbacks and what guys are getting paid,” Kingsbury said. “There’s very few [QBs] when you line up every Sunday and say we have a chance. Our guy is one of those that give you a chance. And at his best, I don’t know who’s better in this league. We can compete with anybody. Going into last year, everyone picked us fourth. … To come from when we started … we feel like we have a chance to take another step. Love the core that we have coming back. Excited about some of the additions we’ve made. Can’t wait to get started.”

• Over The Cap and SI.com’s Howard Balzer has a full and detailed breakdown of Murray’s five-year, $230.5 million extension. Murray received a $29.035 million signing bonus and his base salary in 2023 was lowered to $2 million when he was previously set to receive more than $29 million under the fifth-year option. There’s also a $36 million guaranteed option bonus in 2023 that is prorated out like a signing bonus. 
• Murray has base salaries of $37 million, $18 million, $22.835 million, $19.5 million in 2027 and $34 million in the new years of the deal. There are also roster bonuses of $11.9 million in 2025, $17 million in 2026, $14.185 million in 2027 and $7.7 million in 2028, plus $2 million for reporting to training camp in 2028.  
• Of that, $35.3 million of his 2024 base is guaranteed at signing. His 2025 salary is guaranteed for injury and becomes fully guaranteed in 2024. In 2026, $26.8 million of his total compensation is guaranteed for injury and $36.8 million is fully guaranteed by 2025. His 2027 base salary vests to guaranteed in 2026. 
• Murray’s deal includes $850,000 in per-game roster bonuses in each year from 2024-2028. He also has annual workout bonuses which are on the higher side compared to what players usually get, including $1 million in 2023 and 2024, $1.85 million in 2025 and 2026, and $1.8 million in 2027 and 2028. 
• Murray has $1.5 million available annually in salary escalators from 2024-2028 based on his performance in the prior season. He can make $750,000 for rushing for at least 600 yards and six touchdowns and another $750,000 for playing 70 percent of the snaps in the regular season and 70 percent in an NFC championship win. 
• According to Pro Football Talk, Murray’s contract also includes a clause mandating he spends at least four hours a week doing “Independent Study” of materials the coaching staff provides to prepare for upcoming opponents. 
• The contract also states Murray “shall not receive any credit for Independent Study with respect to any time periods during which any material is displayed or played on an iPad or electronic device if (a) Player is not personally studying or watching the material while it is being displayed or played or (b) Player is engaged in any other activity that may distract his attention (for example, watching television, playing video games or browsing the internet) while such material is being displayed or played.”
• Breaking this would be considered a breach of contract and could jeopardize Murray’s guarantees. PFT adds one source with extensive player contract knowledge called this clause unprecedented. 

Rams

Rams HC Sean McVay spoke to the media about the team’s decision to not place DB Jalen Ramsey on the physically unable to perform list ahead of the new season.

“We ended up not putting Ramsey on the PUP as a result of — doctors cleared him in a limited fashion,” McVay said, via NFL.com. “That enables him to participate in a lot of the jog-throughs, the above-the-neck stuff. And to be able to have him out here with his teammates with all the different things that we ask of him, he felt good about that. We felt good about that. And so, I think that’s what’s best for our football team. That’s why we pivoted in that direction.”

“Any time you have a player of his caliber — and really it’s fortunate for us that it’s an upper-body injury because a lot of this stuff, you’re still moving around in your lower half,” McVay added. “So, there were some unique parameters that enabled us to take that approach. All of the different things that we ask of Jalen. The different communication that’s required. He felt good about that, (defensive coordinator) Raheem (Morris), the defensive coaches, and that’s the step that we’ll take. And we’ll continue to just take it a day at a time and have a specific plan for him.”