Kyler Murray’s agent said a proposal for a long-term contract with the Arizona Cardinals was sent to the team and asked for actions from the franchise rather than “hypothetical contractual promises.”
Agent Erik Burkhardt on Monday issued an ALL CAPS statement of more than 1,000 words addressing the status of Murray’s contract.
The salvo from Burkhardt is the latest spin in what has been a testy offseason between the two sides, starting with Murray scrubbing all references to the team from his social media accounts before the Pro Bowl.
In the statement, Burkhardt said the 24-year-old Murray “wants to be direct with loyal fans and the great community of the Valley in stating his two very important goals and objectives.
1. He absolutely wants to be your long term QB
2. He desperately wants to win the Super Bowl.
“Achieving both goals will take incredible commitment from himself and the entire organization.”
Murray is under contract for 2022 and the Cardinals hold a fifth-year option on his contract for 2023. Burkhardt’s argument is that Murray has outperformed the rookie contract, a four-year deal worth $35,658,014 with an option year at $11,186,842.
By comparison, the Bears paid Nick Foles $8 million in 2021 to be the team’s third quarterback.
But rookie pay scale is a factor, even for No. 1 overall picks. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow made $9,047,534 in 2021, when Baker Mayfield was at $8,170,745 and Murray at $8,914,504
Owner Michael Bidwill said last week that he wants Murray to be the franchise quarterback in Arizona, but cautioned contract talks take time and compromise.
With the salary cap expected to jump to $209 million, quarterback salaries are projected to continue to increase to well over $40 million for top-tier passers. Given Murray’s combination of age and improved production and the team’s climbing win totals, he’s expected to look for a deal that approaches $45 million to $50 million annually.
Burkhardt said the contract proposal sent to general manager Steve Keim was in the interest of “long-term stability for both the organization and (Murray). To overtly communicate Kyler’s desire to be the Cardinals’ long-term QB, we sent a proposal reflecting all of the following:
“Provides financial protection, is in line with the current QB market that compares his results alongside relevant comps, lowers his 2022-23 salary cap number to allow the Cardinals to re-sign other deserving teammates and add additional free agents and, most importantly, represents a real commitment from the organization to see if their ultimate goals align with his 2 above.”
Burkhardt continued, saying “actions speak much louder than words in this volatile business.
“It is now simply up to the Cardinals to decide if they prioritize their rapidly improving 24-year-old, already 2X Pro Bowl QB, who led the organization from three wins before his arrival to 11 wins and their first playoff appearance in five years or rather if they choose to financially prioritize committing to other areas and continuing to merely talk about addressing Kyler’s long-term QB.”
–Field Level Media