Kliff Kingsbury ‘praying’ Cardinals extend Kyler Murray before training camp

TEMPE — It’s unclear where the Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray stand when it comes to a contract extension for the fourth-year pro.

Has the needle moved at all since the opening contract proposal was rescinded by Murray’s camp? And if not, what’s the holdup?

Regardless of the unknown surrounding the signal caller, Murray was front and center for the team’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday.

“He’s the leader of this franchise,” head coach Kliff Kingsbury said after Day 1 of minicamp. “We’re about to make him I’m sure the highest paid player in this franchise’s history and so he understands what comes with that and the guys know what he can be at his best. Any time we can get the whole band out there, things pick up.”

The appearance checks another box off Murray’s offseason to-do list as he postures for the highly sought after extension after his third season.

However it all shakes out, Kingsbury just hopes it’s resolved before the team reconvenes following this week’s camp.

“I’m praying before training camp,” the head coach said. “I just want him there Day 1 of training camp.

“I’m not sure (if he wouldn’t show up for training camp) but personally, I’m just being selfish here, I would love for him to be there first day of training camp,” Kingsbury added.

For now, Kingsbury will continue controlling what he can control, while understanding the energy the extension would bring to the organization once the deal’s wrapped up.

Cardinals to be smart with DeAndre Hopkins’ training camp workload

Arizona is in an odd place with the six-game suspension of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

Barred from practices and the first six games of the regular season, Hopkins and the team must find a balance between working the wideout into the mix over training camp and the preseason while also focusing on the players that will be on the field to start the year.

Kingsbury expects Hopkins to be full-go for training camp after missing the latter part of last season with a torn MCL — his appearance during the stretching portion of minicamp on Tuesday was a sign in the right direction.

But given his predicament, how much full-go will we actually see out of Hopkins?

“We’re going to be really smart in which days he practices,” Kingsbury said Tuesday. “Practice a couple days, minimize his reps but make sure he gets some feel on the field, full speed stuff. And then a couple days, he’ll work out.

“We’re trying to come up with a great plan that rolls right up to Week 7 of the season and make sure we’re smart about it. The main thing I don’t want him to do is ramp up, make a bunch of plays in training camp and do this, practice really hard and then six weeks he’s not doing anything.”

EXTRA POINT

– Kingsbury on tight end Maxx Williams, who is working his way back from a season-ending knee injury in 2021:

“He’s coming along, he’s doing everything he can. I think it will be end of training camp when we kind of see where he stands but we’re not going to rush him, either.”

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