Marquise Brown has 5th-year option picked up by Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals on Friday picked up the fifth-year option of newly-acquired wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, confirms Arizona Sports’ Tyler Drake.

During the team’s media availability following Thursday night’s first round of the NFL Draft, general manager Steve Keim told reporters that the Cardinals would be picking up the final year of Brown’s rookie contract.

“All of us here at Cardinals headquarters are extremely excited,” Keim told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Friday. “Had the opportunity to visit with Marquise over the last 24 hours.

“It’s been a great opportunity to be able to get to know him a little better. Got to know him throughout the evaluation process and all the time that we spent on (scouting) Kyler Murray coming out. Just thrilled to be able to land a guy with his skill set, his capability. The fact that he’s already done it at a high level is extremely encouraging for us.”

The former Oklahoma Sooner and college teammate of the Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is now locked in the Valley through the 2023 season.

Arizona traded its No. 23 overall pick to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a third-round selection (No. 100) and the speedy wide receiver.

It also marks the second time Keim has traded for a wide receiver and then immediately extend their contract, as he did with DeAndre Hopkins in 2020.

“It just gave me more reason to believe that the way this board could potentially fall, we’d be sitting there at 23 and not have as many options that we would be as excited about,” Keim said.

“So to be able to acquire a player who has had the production and has done it, who is still also on his rookie contract in a controlled situation was again very appealing to us. And then the fact that he has chemistry with our quarterback is icing on the cake.”

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