Speculation Continues to Swirl on Kyler Murray's Future With Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has had some serious intrigue around not only his return in 2023, but also what his future holds beyond that - which has been an even larger topic of discussion.
To get a better idea of where Murray stands, we'll travel back to last offseason - where a series of deleted Instagram posts and interesting statements ultimately led to a massive extension for Murray, the organization's No. 1 pick and former Heisman trophy winner.
That was handed down by general manager Steve Keim and head coach Kliff Kingsbury, neither of the two are currently still in the desert.
Murray played on a very poor Cardinals squad in 2022 and didn't quite look his best for a variety of reasons, but things quickly turned from bad to worse when he tore his ACL and meniscus in Week 14, effectively ending his season and putting some portion of 2023 in doubt.
Fast forward to present day, where Murray is now a few months removed from surgery and by all accounts is doing fairly well in his rehab. Arizona is under new guidance in general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon, who have both gone on the record (numerous times) to state their infatuation and commitment to Murray.
Yet there's still rumblings on what the future holds for Murray. The Cardinals haven't seen any postseason success under his guidance, and two potential top-five picks for the 2024 draft (Arizona+Houston) could tempt the organization to roll the dice on another quarterback coming out of college.
ESPN's Dan Graziano went through a few different quarterback scenarios throughout the league and touched on Murray's future with Arizona:
"A late-season ACL tear means Murray won't see the field in the early part of the 2023 season, if at all. The Cardinals have a new GM, a new coach, a weak-looking roster and five picks in the first three rounds of next year's draft," Graziano said.
"So, you ask, could they be thinking of moving on from Murray this time next year? Well, maybe, but it won't be easy. The contract he signed with them last offseason guarantees him $35.3 million in 2024, and if he's still on the roster at the start of the 2024 league year, another $30 million in 2025 money becomes guaranteed.
"On one hand, Murray should be eager to get back on the field and show his new employers he's the guy they can count on long term. On the other, the contract really does protect him in case he can't. If you had to bet on this, it's probably safer to think Murray is going to be there for a while. But until we see him on the field again, this situation will remain shrouded in mystery."
Getting out of Murray's contract will be tough following next season, though you could always find a team that believes they're just a quarterback away.
The debate between keeping/trading Murray will continue to rage on, even after we see him upright and on the field at some point. Perhaps his initial form will show the Cardinals what they need to do.
Until then - and even after - speculation around Murray's future in Arizona will continue to swirl.
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