The Cardinals are picking up Kyler Murray’s fifth-year option by the May 2 deadline, according to The Arizona Republic’s Bob McManaman. The move will guarantee Murray roughly $28 million in 2022, and he is expected to come to terms on an agreement for a long-term extension in Arizona at some point this summer.
If the Cardinals don’t reach an agreement on an extension, Arizona could also franchise tag him for about $32 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Murray’s desire for a long-term extension has been a prevailing story line this offseason.
It all started in February when Murray scrubbed any mention or image of the Cardinals from both his Twitter and Instagram. At the time, it was unclear what prompted the move. Later that same month, Murray’s agent released a statement urging the Cardinals to prioritize reaching a long-term deal with Murray, seemingly making it clear that the signal-caller wants a deal sooner rather than later. This is the first offseason where Murray is eligible for an extension.
On April 14 it was reported that Arizona hadn’t made an offer to Murray yet and there were no active talks regarding an extension, but both the team and Murray sound confident a deal will get done.
Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said there was “zero chance” the team would trade Murray and even the quarterback took to Twitter to make it clear he isn’t going anywhere.
“I wanna win Super Bowls with the Cardinals, AZ is home,” he said on Twitter on Thursday.
