Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray wants to get paid.
He saw players like Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, and Matthew Stafford get major contract offers.
His desire was for a contract like those NFL quarterbacks got.
Who can blame him?
He helped the Cardinals reach the NFL playoffs and feels a new contract is in order for his role in their 2021 season.
However, the demands he’s making came way too early for the type of play he gave during the back half of the 2021 season.
Murray’s Play Suffered After Return From Injury
Before his injury in 2021, everyone saw Murray as the leading candidate for MVP.
Let’s not forget Kyler Murray was the top MVP candidate going into week 8 before he got hurt against Green Bay. PAY HIM.
— ŁW💥 (@campayneburner) April 15, 2022
However, after his return from injury, his performance slipped.
He ended the season 2-4 after returning from his injury.
One of the losses was to Seattle, while the other was to Detroit.
He also had 35 poor throws in those six games, over half of his 65 total poor throws during the 2021 season.
Those mistakes hurt the Cardinals’ chances of winning their division in 2021.
It also hurts him going into his contract negotiations.
While he is on the last year of his rookie contract, with an option for 2023, he’s also going to be under a microscope after his injury last season.
The Cardinals can’t overlook how poorly Murray performed against losing teams after his return from injury.
They need to play it safe and make sure he’s fully recovered before making a commitment to him.
Baker Mayfield, NFL Draft, And Trade Rumors Could Hurt Murray
The demands being made before the 2022 NFL Draft could hurt Murray.
Also, having Baker Mayfield available for a trade puts a dent in his contract demands.
While Murray is a better player than Mayfield, the team could decide to move on from Murray.
That’s also brought about trade rumors, with a couple of teams interested in the young quarterback.
From @NFLTotalAccess on where things stand with the #Cardinals, Kyler Murray and other teams interested in the two-time Pro Bowl QB. @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/hquNwrOmiP
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 15, 2022
However, the Cardinals deny any desire to trade their top quarterback away in 2022.
But we know how things change fast in the NFL with trade deals and contract offers.
What one team says today might change tomorrow.
Should The Cardinals Commit?
Cardinals fans want Murray back beyond the 2022 season in Arizona.
However, an early commitment to Murray might not be wise.
We know how his play suffered in the last six regular season games and the playoff game against the Rams.
Those games should worry fans that think he’s the best option for the Cardinals.
However, they only see his performance in the first eight games in 2021.
While that performance deserved an MVP nod, his back half ruined it all.
Without him proving that his injury won’t affect his play, the team shouldn’t commit to him.
It’s a hard pill to swallow, but the Cardinals might need to move on if they don’t see a full recovery from Murray.
Trading Murray would give the team a pick in the 2023 draft, a draft class with better quarterbacks than the 2022 draft.
With the Cardinals saying they won’t trade Murray, only time will tell if things change before the start of the 2022 season.
