Cardinals General Manager Steve Keim thinks he has an incredibly valuable asset in a franchise quarterback who can not yet negotiate for a new contract.
Kyler Murray is heading into Year 3 with the Cardinals and has a cap hit of just $9.76 million, a bargain for a franchise quarterback. Keim says that’s a great position for a G.M. to be in.
“Now, with a guy like Kyler Murray, the thing that is so exciting for me is having the opportunity to build around a young player, a guy you can grow with as an organization and as a roster,” Keim said. “And there are different things you can do, especially with a rookie contract, as opposed to a veteran who is making a considerable part of your salary cap.”
After his third season, Murray will be able to negotiate for a new contract, so the Cardinals may not have a bargain much longer. It also may be the year when head coach Kliff Kingsbury has to prove he can win or be replaced. So the Cardinals need to win now, with Murray’s value relative to his cap hit perhaps at the highest point it will ever be.
