ARIZONA CARDINALS
How does Kyler Murray’s contract extension compare to top-paid NFL QBs?
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s prayers were answered on Thursday, with the Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray agreeing on a contract extension ahead of training camp.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal extends five years and is worth $230.5 million with $160 million guaranteed. The extension locks up the signal caller through 2028.
The deal moves Murray into top-paid-QB territory, landing third among NFL signal callers for the total contract amount, per Spotrac. That puts Murray ahead of Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who signed a fully guaranteed deal worth $230 million this offseason.
Only Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen and Kansas City Chiefs signal caller Patrick Mahomes have more years and more dollars in their deals.
Mahomes reigns No. 1 with a contract that spans 10 years and is worth $450 million ($63 million guaranteed). Allen is second on the list with a six-year deal worth a little more than $258 million ($100 million guaranteed).
Murray, however, has both of the signal callers beat in guarantees and will see more money come his way over the first three years of his deal as opposed to Mahomes and Allen.
Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported the amounts of money that will be made by Murray through the first three years of his extension, which begins in 2024 because of the two years remaining on his rookie deal:
Year 1
– Murray: $30 million
– Allen: $20 million
– Mahomes: $10.93 million
Through Year 2:
– Murray: $69 million
– Allen: $67 million
– Mahomes: $33.7 million
Through Year 3:
– Murray: $106.15 million
– Allen: $95 million
– Mahomes: $63.18 million
Murray, the top overall NFL Draft pick in 2019, will also see himself take home the second-most amount of money among NFL signal callers on a yearly basis.
While Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is the leader in the clubhouse with an average annual value of just over $50 million, Murray now sits alone in second at $46.1 million. That is $2.4 million short of the entire payroll of the Oakland Athletics, the MLB club that drafted Murray No. 9 overall in the 2019 baseball draft.
Rodgers and Murray are followed by Watson ($46 million), Mahomes ($45 million), Allen ($43 million) and Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr ($40.5 million).
