It has been an interesting offseason, to say the least, for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
Murray first scrubbed his social media accounts of all things Cardinals, then released a statement voicing his frustrations with the organization being reluctant to commit to him long-term.
He recently commented that Arizona is his home and that he wants to remain with the franchise long-term, trying to put to bed any rumors that he may want out. The Cardinals have seemingly taken the first step on Tuesday to bring back Murray for the foreseeable future.
According to Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic, the organization will pick up Murray’s fifth-year option ahead of the May 2 deadline. He also added that both sides are expected to work towards a long-term contract this summer when they rework the deal.
The Arizona Cardinals will be picking up QB Kyler Murray's fifth-year contract by the May 2 deadline, which guarantees him a salary of around $28 million. Both sides are expected to eventually agree to a reworked deal at some point this summer.
— Bob McManaman (@azbobbymac) April 26, 2022
Murray’s fifth-year option will make the quarterback around $28 million for the 2023 season while he plays through the final year of his rookie deal.
Despite a poor postseason performance for Murray this past year, he has improved every season thus far in his three-year career, making the Pro Bowl in each of the past two seasons.
It was obviously crucial to keep Murray happy with the organization going forward. The Cardinals will certainly need him to be much better when it matters in the postseason, but he has been essential to the team’s success since being selected first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.