Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will reportedly skip offseason OTAs. This comes after reporting of Murray’s desire for a new contract with the team surfaced at the conclusion of the 2021-22 NFL Season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Last month, the Cardinals exercised the fifth-year option on their former number-one overall pick giving the front office more time to come up with a long-term deal for their franchise quarterback. Murray had previously unfollowed all Cardinals’ accounts on social media leading fans and the media to speculate regarding the QB’s happiness in Arizona.
Cardinals’ management has dispelled any rumors of moving Murray, with GM Steve Keim saying that there was “zero chance” that the Cards were willing to deal with Murray. “Nothing has changed in terms of him being our long-term and short-term quarterback,” Keim reiterated. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury also said he expects Murray to be in attendance at the mandatory team minicamp on June 14-16. Keim and Kingsbury were granted long-term extensions within their roles after guiding the Cardinals to their first playoff berth since 2015.
Murray, however, goes into his fourth season without a long-term deal. The 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year and two-time Pro Bowler has seen increasing success during his time in the NFL and comes off his most successful season leading Arizona to a 9-5 record as a starter. Meanwhile, Cardinals’ management has also helped put their quarterback in a position to be successful, acquiring Deandre Hopkins, Zach Ertz and recently Murray’s college teammate Marquise Brown via a trade. These moves along with the bolstering of their offensive line have given Murray the weapons he needs to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
No quarterback from the 2019 NFL Draft has been signed to a long-term extension, with the other notable first-round QB being New York Giants’ quarterback Daniel Jones, whose fifth-year option was declined. However, various third-year quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen received their deals during the summer, Keim noted on Mad Dog Sports Radio.
Murray himself has since refuted any speculation on his loyalty, tweeting in April, “I wanna win Super Bowls with the Cardinals, AZ is home.”
