Kyler Murray Got Paid – And Now We Can Move On

Kyler Murray got paid. And an audible sigh of relief could be heard across the Red Sea.

It’s a 5-year extension worth $230.5M with $160M in guarantees. https://t.co/22M8MTlxFc

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 21, 2022

Back in March, I posted a video projecting what a Kyler Murray contract extension would look like. I’m proud to say that my projection of 5-years and $235 million was not far off the mark from the actual, 5-year $230.5 million contract that Murray signed four months later.

Back in March, I projected 5-years, $235m. I'd say that was pretty close. https://t.co/3epiy62XSE pic.twitter.com/eEA6ioQ3lP

— The Cardinal Rule (@jokomo13) July 21, 2022

The contract, which includes $160 million in guaranteed money, is slated to expire after the 2028 season. The average annual salary on Murray’s massive deal makes him the second highest-paid quarterback… for now.

History has shown that the figures for franchise quarterback contracts grow each year, with the average annual salaries of new quarterback contracts increasing by $2-5 million each offseason. For example, the contract signed in 2021 by Buffalo Bills quarterback, Josh Allen, has an average annual salary of $43 million – $3 million less than that of Murray’s extension. Based on this trend, one should expect that Cincinnati Bengals star, Joe Burrow, will likely cash in at upwards of $51 million per season.

With this extension, not only have the Arizona Cardinals made a long-term commitment to their franchise quarterback, they have also rendered rumblings of a supposed rift between the organization and their signal-caller a thing of the past. Nothing puts to bed rumors of discord like a new contract. While the media (and some fans) are prone to running with narratives about social media scrubs being signs of an imminent divorce between team and player, it appears that the infamous Kyler Instagram fiasco and the unusual statement from agent Erik Burkhardt were simply posturing. For better or worse, this is just part of the way business is done in the current era of sports.

With Kyler’s contract settled, and Rodney Hudson back in the nest for the 2022 season, the Cardinals can now turn their sights to training camp and addressing some of their remaining roster needs. This includes (but is not limited to) adding a veteran cornerback, adding a run-stuffer to the interior defensive line, and adding general roster depth.