TEMPE — Friday marked yet another milestone in Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray’s young career.
After three seasons of steady growth, both personally and in the win column, Murray was rewarded with a five-year contract extension worth $230.5 million.
With his parents, agent, head coach, general manager, teammates and his very good dog Swoosh right there by his side, it’s a moment that will stick with him for the rest of his life.
All smiles for @K1 and Co. pic.twitter.com/rNzXq8Issd
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) July 22, 2022
“Three years ago, we were all in here after getting drafted,” Murray said Friday. “It was one of the best days of my life. And today, three years from there, I signed an extension. For me, it’s a blessing. I’m so grateful and honored for the confidence they’ve shown in me, the faith that they’ve shown in me to take a 5-foot-10 quarterback. That’s never been done before.
“I understood the heat that they would take for doing that. … For me, it’s always been about fulfilling my promise which is hopefully one day bring a championship to this organization. I’m a firm believer in bringing that here. I know we’re capable, I know it’ll get done.”
With the ink now dry on his new deal, Murray no longer has to dwell in the business of contract negotiations. The statements and the scrubbings can fade away with the sands of time.
Instead, the QB can turn his full attention on the expectations he has for himself and the organization moving forward.
Just because he got the bag, doesn’t mean the grind stops.
“I personally feel like this is just the start,” Murray said. “I feel like the past three years we’ve been able to do a lot of great things. All we’ve done is go up. I’ve done a lot of great individual things, but for me, the goal is to win championships … and I feel like this is the start.
“I think with a lot of the reps and experiences I’ve been able to go through these past three years will help me bring along the rest of my guys and I think as a collective we’ll only be better from here on out.”
From the man himself.
@K1 pic.twitter.com/1hYFXcyGRd
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) July 22, 2022
Murray isn’t solely trying to improve his and the team’s statistics, either, as the QB continues to have open communication with general manager Steve Keim on ways to better the roster.
It’s something Keim did with former signal caller Carson Palmer and something he’ll continue to have with Murray. It’s the only way you have success in this business, says the GM.
“I love when he comes to me and talks to me about players,” Keim said. “The great players are vested in it. They get excited about it. They come to you and they’re passionate about players that they saw or a college player that they saw.
“I love hearing from him because it’s a different perspective. And he’s a really good evaluator. He knows players. … Moving forward, he and I will continue to talk about different players, how he sees it from his angle.”