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Kyler Murray contract extension timing explained by Arizona Cardinals GM Steve Keim

Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic
·4 min read
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Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim shed some light on the Kyler Murray contract situation on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday.

Murray, the Cardinals' quarterback, has not shown up at the team's voluntary organized team activities this week as he continues to seek a new deal with Arizona.

Keim said he was confident he would be able to work out something with Murray.

"I just think it is a timing thing, Pat," Keim said. "Every quarterback that has done it before has done it from July to September. No different for us. I had to be prepared for the NFL draft, that requires a lot of hours of tape-watching. Free agency, at the same time. It's not easy. Your time is really taken up in a lot of different directions and you have to prioritize it. We know that he is under contract for another year and also the fifth-year option and he is our future. We feel that way strongly and I feel like we'll be able to get something done with summer."

More: Kyler Murray contract projection would make Arizona Cardinals QB among highest paid in NFL

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In April, the Cardinals picked up Murray's fifth-year option, which means Murray, the No.1 overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Oklahoma, now has a guaranteed salary of $29,703,000 for his fifth NFL season.

Murray is scheduled to make $5.5 million in salary this coming season, but he isn’t expected to agree to play for that price.

Though the Cardinals retain his rights for at least the next two years, the two sides can negotiate a new, long-term deal more in line with what some of the league’s top quarterbacks are earning.

More: Cardinals downplay absence of Kyler Murray, Hollywood Brown at voluntary team workouts

Will Kyler Murray and Steve Keim be able to come to an agreement on a contract extension for the quarterback with the Arizona Cardinals soon?
Will Kyler Murray and Steve Keim be able to come to an agreement on a contract extension for the quarterback with the Arizona Cardinals soon?

Pro Football Focus projected on Wednesday that Murray's extension with Arizona would be for six years and a total of $280 million, with $155 million guaranteed.

It would average about $46.7 million per season.

Keim talked about his relationship with Murray's agent, Erik Burkhardt, in the interview with McAfee, citing it as a reason for his confidence that the two sides could reach an agreement.

"Whenever the conversations and I would say the negotiations ramp up you talk on a daily basis back and forth," he said. "I have a good relationship with his agent, Erik Burkhardt, he also represents Kliff (Kingsbury), which is a little unusual, I know."

More: Somers: Kyler Murray's decision to skip voluntary workouts is a mistake

Keim also had some fun in the interview, joking about fighting Burkhardt in a cage match.

"Pat, as big of a wrestling fan as I am — and congrats on WrestleMania — I was thinking maybe you set up a cage match between me and Burkhardt,” Keim said.

McAfee then joked that he thought Keim would easily beat Burkhardt in a match.

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Keim's comments on Murray were similar to comments he made about the quarterback and his contract situation prior to the NFL draft when he said there was "zero chance" Arizona would trade the QB.

“Nothing’s changed,” Keim said before the NFL draft. “Really the way we’ve approached it is we have free agency, we have the draft and then we’ll take a deep breath and sort of refocus. That’s the same reason that every other player that’s been a third-year quarterback has done in the middle of summer to late summer and it’s no different for us.

“It’s just sort of the way that the system works. Nothing has changed as far as him being our long-term and short-term quarterback.”

He added: “I was a decent GM when Carson Palmer was our quarterback. When he retired, I wasn’t very good. I am smart enough to know that Kyler Murray makes me a better GM. We took him with the first overall pick. We love him. The guy’s continued to improve. He’s made us a better football team. So, we’re really excited about his future.”

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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kyler Murray contract extension: Arizona Cardinals GM on timing