The biggest story of the offseason for the Arizona Cardinals so far has been quarterback Kyler Murray and the contract extension he wants and is expected to get. Nothing has happened yet but general manager Steve Keim feels confident that it is going to happen.
Murray’s agent Erik Burkhardt released a lengthy statement months ago about the need to get a deal done for the team’s franchise quarterback. The team punted on a contract offer then.
Why hasn’t a deal gotten done?
“I just think it’s a timing thing,” Keim said on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday. “Every quarterback that’s done it before has done it anywhere from July to September.”
That is, indeed, the precedent.
Keim noted the time he has to dedicate to the draft, player evaluations and free agency.
“You have to prioritize,” he said.
Murray’s current contract status makes things less urgent for the team, especially considering Murray’s contract status.
“We know that he is under contract for another year and also the fifth-year option,” he said.
But Keim also made it clear what he thinks of Murray.
“He is our future,” he said. “We feel that way strongly and I feel like we’ll be able to get something done this summer.”
Murray currently has not attended voluntary OTAs and it is supposedly related to not having an extension done. It sounds like this is going to drag on at least another month and perhaps into training camp.
The decision to wait might end up costing the Cardinals more than had they gotten something done early in the offseason.
When Burkhardt presented a contract offer to the team, it was rumored to be in the average of $40 million per year. That offer has since been rescinded and, with new quarterback deals around the league this offseason, some projections have Murray’s new deal surpassing $46 million per year on average.
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