Kyler Murray present as 2nd round of Cardinals OTAs begins

Quarterback Kyler Murray was at the Arizona Cardinals’ Tempe training facility and on the field as the team began its second round of voluntary organized team activities on Wednesday.

#AZCardinals QB Kyler Murray is indeed back for voluntary OTAs. pic.twitter.com/bFqcqFZpSI

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) June 1, 2022

How much he participates remains to be seen.

Murray was also at the team facility Tuesday to work out before the more formal gathering with his teammates, a move to show “good faith” amid his contract dispute, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Murray, who is seeking a contract extension, did not attend the Cardinals’ three-day OTA session last Monday through Wednesday. His return is a sign he is on good terms with the team despite no news of advancing contract extension negotiations.

“He is our future,” general manager Steve Keim said on the Pat McAfee Show last Wednesday. “We feel that way strongly and I feel like we’ll be able to get something done this summer.”

This is the second of three voluntary sessions before mandatory minicamp kicks off on Thursday, June 14. The third voluntary round of OTAs will take place next Monday through Thursday.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said on May 23 that he expected Murray to report to mandatory camp. The quarterback was not the only veteran starter who was not on the field in the first week of OTAs.

“We’re going to be smart throughout,” Kinsgbury said last week. “We understand that it’s all voluntary at this point.

“So … for some of the guys that have a great understanding of it, we want to push some reps to some of the younger guys who may not be getting as many when we get to training camp.”

The quarterback laid some groundwork at the end of April to settle down fears he could sit out part of the offseason or even the regular season due to stalled contract talks.

Suggestions that the Cardinals could trade him led to Keim saying there was “zero chance” of a trade this offseason. With that, Murray got active on his Twitter account, affirming his commitment to play in Arizona.

On April 27, the Cardinals picked up a fifth-year option for the 2019 first overall pick to play for $29.7 million in 2023. But Murray will be on a deal that pays out just $5.5 million this coming season after he was rewarded with a hefty signing bonus before he suited up in the NFL.

Arizona can still sign Murray to a more significant extension despite already picking up the fifth-year option available for all first-round picks.

Murray’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, was aggressive early on this offseason pushing for his client to receive a new deal. In a letter published on social media in February, he put the onus on the Cardinals to extend Murray and said Arizona had been sent a proposed deal.

That proposal has reportedly since been pulled off the table.

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