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Kyler Murray's off-season began with a bang. Now it seems set to end with a whimper, which is pretty symbolic of his performances with the Arizona Cardinals.
The former Heisman Trophy winner was the first overall selection of the 2019 draft, as the Cardinals dismissed any concerns over his short stature.
In his three seasons with the Cardinals, they have gone from 3-13 to 11-6 and reached the playoffs last season before delivering a rancid showing against the Los Angeles Rams in a blowout loss.
Murray has been sensational at times. He was named Rookie of the Year in 2019 and has two Pro Bowl nods. So when his agent demanded a new contract before the draft, many thought a trade could be possible for the unsettled Sooner, especially following the dreaded Instagram break-up.
But nothing materialized, and within weeks everything seemed to settle down. Now one NFL analyst thinks he knows why. Speaking on Pro Football Talk Live, Mike Florio had the following to say about Kyler Murray's situation:
"No word yet I fully expect them to get something done before the start of training camp. But the question does then become will he show up? Maybe we'll see a short hold out. But that would just be to get the final deal done."
He continued:
"I think that maybe Kyler got a little dose of self awareness, recognizing that there isn't going to be a long list of teams that line up to get him in the Broncos went for Russell Wilson. They didn't try to trade for Kyler, they could have tried to trade for Kyler. I don't think anybody really tried to trade for Kyler."
Could Kyler Murray switch to the MLB?
Whether or not any inquiries were made about Murray's availability is unknown. Cardinals general manager Steve Keim made it clear from the get-go that they would not entertain any offers for their franchise quarterback. However, Murray does have other options, namely Major League Baseball.
In the 2018 MLB draft, the Oakland Athletics made Murray the ninth overall selection, meaning that he is the only player in history to be drafted in the first round of both the NFL and MLB drafts. Kyler opted for football, but Oakland still own his contract rights.
K1 has made little secret of his passion for baseball and has even attended post-match press conferences in an Oakland Athletics cap in an apparent reminder to the Cardinals head office. Some analysts believe that he could use that as leverage over Arizona.
In all probability, the former Heisman winner will get his contract extension before the new season. But question marks remain over his leadership skills, durability, and maturity. Paying Murray is a risk, but the Cardinals could be rewarded handsomely as he certainly has all the talent in the world.
Should Arizona give him his bumper contract extension?
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Pro Football Talk Live and H/T Sportskeeda.
Poll : Should the Cardinals give Murray his contract extension?
Yes
No
310 votes
