The statement sounded wild at the time, and it was.
The all-caps missive from agent Erik Burkhardt, on behalf of Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, made clear the 24-year-old wanted the franchise to more aggressively put together a championship roster, and that he wanted the franchise to commit to him personally long-term. It came the morning most of the league arrived at the scouting combine. It landed like a neutron bomb and, eventually, it served its purpose.
Or, more specifically, two purposes.
First, it was in part in response to reports following Arizona’s unsightly wild-card round loss to the rival Rams, one of which came from ESPN on Super Bowl Sunday, that the team had serious questions about Murray’s maturity and accountability. Whether that was from the locker room, the coaching staff or the front office, it was taken by Murray’s camp, just as Murray became eligible for a new contract, as questioning his place as the team’s leader.
Second, it was a response to the slow early pace of negotiations, with Murray’s camp having been informed that the Cardinals would get to his extension in the summer after other team business had been conducted. Simply put, Murray’s side felt urgency was needed.
Five months later, Murray has his deal. After a furious sprint over the final 24-hour period, from early Wednesday into Thursday, to cross one last divide, Arizona and Murray agreed to a five-year, $230.5 million extension that ties him to the team that took him No. 1 in 2019 through 2028, his 10th NFL season.
As the uniqueness of that statement illustrated, the two sides didn’t get there without going through a lot. And in the end? They traded vows. For the foreseeable future, Murray’s success will be tied to the Cardinals’ ability to facilitate it for him, and vice versa.
In this week’s GamePlan, we’ll break down how they got there—and what it means for everyone involved moving forward.
