The drama is over and the decision has been made: Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals have made a long-term commitment to a new contract that would keep the quarterback in the desert through the 2028 season.
The two-time Pro Bowl selection was selected top overall from Oklahoma following winning the Heisman Trophy and has largely accomplished his quest to make the Cardinals a better franchise.
The team announced the new contract on Thursday. ESPN reported that the contract would be worth $230.5 million, with $160 million guaranteed.
Murray’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Murray’s new contract puts him on a par with other young quarterbacks in the league, such as Buffalo’s Josh Allen, who signed a deal worth more than $250 million last season. Murray will earn an average of more than $46 million per season, which is similar to other elite quarterbacks like Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Allen.
At just 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 meters), some in the NFL worried that the 24-year-old Murray was too short to be a dominant pro quarterback, but his stats over three seasons prove otherwise.
He completed nearly 67% of his passes in 46 career games for 11,480 yards and 70 touchdowns and rushed for 1,786 yards and 20 touchdowns. Murray is particularly good at extending plays on the ground, using his ability to make spectacular gains on offense.
Arizona went 5-10-1 during its rookie season in 2019, but the Cardinals improved to 11-6 last season before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC wild-card round of the playoffs. .
The deal ends a bizarre passive-aggressive offseason contract dispute. At one point, Murray deleted all references to the Cardinals on his social media accounts, and it was unclear if the franchise was ready to make a long-term investment.