Quarterback Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals reaches a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension with the team. /CFP
The Arizona Cardinals and their quarterback (QB) Kyler Murray have reached a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension, according to ESPN.
The deal includes $160 million for injury and $105 million of fully guaranteed money upon signing for Murray. His average annual salary of $46.1 million is the second-highest among active QBs, behind only Aaron Rodgers ($50.3 million) of the Green Bay Packers, higher than that of Deshaun Watson ($46 million) of the Cleveland Browns and Patrick Mahomes ($45 million) of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Only Watson enjoys more guaranteed money (all of his $230 million guaranteed) than Murray.
It has been months since the Cardinals and Murray began extension negotiations after the team exercised the fifth-year option on the 24-year-old's rookie contract in April to keep him through the 2023 season. Though Cardinals general manager Steve Keim denied in April there was any chance for the team to trade Murray, the best way to relieve both the front office and fans of their worries would be locking the star with a long-term deal.
Quarterback Kyler Murray (#1) of the Arizona Cardinals passes in the NFL National Football Conference Wild Card Game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, January 17, 2022. /CFP
Both the Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills did the same by offering Mahomes and Josh Allen a lucrative contract after their third season in the NFL.
Having drafted Murray with the first-overall pick in 2019, the Cardinals believed they found the future spine of the team. He returned the team's trust by becoming the first QB in league history to achieve at least 70 passing touchdowns, 20 rushing touchdowns, 3,500 passing yards, 400 rushing yards and 70 percent of completion rate in no fewer than 17 games in his first three seasons.
While Murray was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and qualified for the Pro Bowl in the past two seasons, the Cardinals saw their record of 5-11 in 2019 rise to 8-8 in 2020 and then to 11-6 in 2021. They made it back to the postseason (National Football Conference Wild Card Game) last season for the first time since 2015.