The Cardinals’ decision to release quarterback Kyler Murray next week was inevitable, based on recent events.
A divorce was inevitable based on events from four years ago.
When the Cardinals signed Murray to a five-year, $230 million extension in 2022, the contract initially included an “independent study” clause. When the term came to light, the reaction was swift, loud, and negative. The perception that Murray needed an “independent study” clause made him look bad. The team’s decision to request it made them look foolish.
The mere fact that the Cardinals entertained the thought that Murray needed an external incentive in the form of an addendum to his contract should have been regarded as a red flag on the entire question of whether to extend his contract. If, as they believed, Murray had a flaw in his work ethic that required a term that threatened default if he didn’t comply, they shouldn’t have signed him to a second contract.
They should have traded him.
If he’d been available in 2022, the Cardinals could have gotten a respectable return. He had made the Pro Bowl twice in three seasons, and he had taken the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2021. He was regarded as a rising star, a potential short-list franchise quarterback.
And while it would have been a risky move based on those objective facts, the Cardinals knew something the rest of the league didn’t. They knew (or at least they believed) there was an issue regarding his preparation habits. They could have moved him before anyone else became aware of their position.
Obviously, they didn’t. They renewed vows, with a clunky caveat that may have permanently poisoned the relationship.
In the past four years, he has missed 20 games due to injury. His record is 16-26, after starting his career 22-23-1.
The market, at the time Murray signed his deal, was $46 million per year. He emerged with an average of $46.1 million per year. He has made more than $113 million since 2022. He exits with another $36.8 million owed to him in 2026.
It could have gone a different way. It should have gone a different way. If the Cardinals had sufficient misgivings about Murray to insert an unprecedented (for a reason) contract clause that required him to do something that, for most franchise quarterbacks, is a given, the Cardinals shouldn’t have re-signed him.
They should have traded him.
