The craziest offseason in recent memory will not include the Cardinals trading quarterback Kyler Murray. Both Murray and Cardinals general manager Steve Keim emphatically put any such thoughts to rest on Thursday, a week before the start of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Keim, during a pre-draft press conference with the media, was asked if there was any chance that the Cardinals would possibly trade Murray, who has reportedly not received a long-term contract offer from the club and reportedly won't play next season unless he has a new contract.
"Zero chance," Keim said, via NFL media.
Murray, via Twitter, then responded to former teammate and current Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson's open speculation on Murray's future in Arizona during the latest All Things Covered podcast with Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden.
"I wanna win Super Bowls with the Cardinals," Murray wrote, "AZ is home."
Specifically, Peterson said that Murray's future in Arizona could be predicated on how well the Cardinals perform in 2022. If the Cardinals' brass struggles to build a title contending team around Murray, Peterson could see his former teammate leaving town.
"No disrespect to the Arizona Cardinals, I feel like they don't put the team in a position to be successful year after year," Peterson said. "And Kyler Murray's not gonna sit around and wait for that."
While things may not be completely kosher, it appears that Murray has no desire to leave Arizona, who drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. A two-time Pro Bowler, Murray was in the middle of the league MVP conversation last season before injuries sidelined him for three games.
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The Cardinals, who started the season 7-0, finished 11-6 while clinching the franchise's first playoff berth since 2015. Arizona was a quick out in the playoffs, however, as the Cardinals lost 34-11 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams in the wild card round.
In free agency, the Cardinals lost receiver Christian Kirk, who signed a lucrative, long-term deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Arizona did re-sign Pro Bowl running back James Conner, former Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz and former Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green. The Cardinals will likely use a draft pick on a receiver to help replace Kirk, who caught 77 passes for 982 yards and five touchdowns last season.
Murray is entering the final year of his rookie deal that carries a cap hit of just $11.4 million for the upcoming season. Arizona has until May 2 to pick up Murray's fifth-year option that would pay him just under $30 million for the 2023 season. Given the recent deals that have been handed out to other top-tier quarterbacks, Murray is likely seeking a long-term contract that will make him one of only a handful of NFL players to make at least $40 million annually.
