Kyler Murray agrees to extension with Arizona Cardinals

The long saga between Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals appears to have come to an end, as the 24-year-old quarterback has agreed to a new contract with his team.

The Cardinals report for training camp next Tuesday, and they’ll have their franchise QB wrapped up with a five-year extension worth a reported $230.5 million. The per-year average will make him the second-highest paid QB in the NFL behind only Aaron Rodgers.

Will he end up being worth the money, and how good can the Cardinals be with Murray at the helm? Those are two big questions that will need to be answered, and Colin Cowherd took a crack at it on “The Herd.”

“What is Arizona without him? I know what they were because it was three years ago. They were terrible,” he said. “If Kyler Murray [is] your quarterback, you can win every game potentially. [It] doesn’t mean you will, but you know he can make plays others can’t. He’s the closest thing to Russell Wilson. … 

“It doesn’t mean they’re gonna win the Super Bowl. It doesn’t mean they’re gonna win playoff games. It means they’re relevant, they’re viable. They could win a Super Bowl.”

Kyler Murray sticks with Cardinals for five-year, $230.5M extension

Colin Cowherd believes the Cardinals could make the playoffs and have a chance at the Super Bowl after re-signing Kyler Murray on a five-year, $230.5 million extension.

In two of Murray’s three seasons in Arizona, the team started off hot before cooling midway through the season. 

In 2020, the Cardinals started 5-2, then finished 3-6, resulting in an 8-8 record and a third-place finish in the NFC West. Last season offered more of the same, with a 7-0 start followed by a 4-6 finish, resulting in an 11-6 record and a second-place finish.

In three seasons leading the Cardinals, Murray has completed 66.9% of his passes and thrown for an average of 249.6 yards per game. He’s thrown 23.3 touchdowns per season and only 11.3 interceptions per year. The Cardinals are 22-23-1 in his 46 starts.

Murray was also named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and is a two-time Pro Bowler.

However, he only has a single playoff start, and in that start, he went 19-for-34 for 137 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Here’s how the sports world reacted to the news.