Jonathan Gannon hasn’t precisely been hesitant to reward Kyler Murray since taking up because the Cardinals head coach. However the second half of Arizona’s season has been framed around seeing how the previous Professional Bowler seems to be in a brand new offense. Extra expertise round Murray is clearly wanted, however the rookie HC remains to be assured in his triggerman.
When requested throughout a radio interview with Arizona Sports activities’ “Burns and Gambo” Tuesday, via AZCardinsals.com about Murray’s post-2023 future in Arizona, Gannon stated, “There is no such thing as a doubt No. 1 is our franchise quarterback.” Chuckling on the query of the Playing cards’ 2024 QB1, Gannon has been consistent in his support for the fifth-year quarterback.
An up to date endorsement is critical not solely as a result of Murray’s run of begins however due to the Cardinals’ draft place. Though their upset win over the Eagles dropped them within the draft order, the group still sits fourth. With neither the Bears nor Commanders — stationed at Nos. 1 and a couple of — locked into drafting a quarterback, the Cardinals may have an vital determination to make. Almost a yr after buying and selling out of the No. 3 total draft slot and signing off on a rebuilding yr as Murray rehabbed his torn ACL, Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort seem ready to roll out the dual-threat QB in 2024 as properly.
Murray is 3-4 as a starter, tripling the win complete the Cardinals gathered with Josh Dobbs on the helm, and has provided up-and-down work in OC Drew Petzing‘s assault. Murray is averaging simply 6.5 yards per try. Whereas that’s up from his disappointing finale with Kliff Kingsbury, it’s properly south of his Professional Bowl work from 2020 and 2021. His 64.5% completion charge can also be on tempo to be the worst since his rookie yr. That stated, the Cardinals have a bottom-tier skill-position array and determine to be available in the market for huge receiver assist quickly. Marquise Brown is ending this season on IR; the 2022 commerce acquisition might be an unrestricted free agent in March.
The Cardinals’ five-year, $230.5M Murray extension might be troublesome to maneuver in 2024, anyway. Much less effusive in praising the QB he inherited, Sean Payton‘s deteriorating relationship with Russell Wilson is ready to key a record-shattering $84.6M in dead money. Despite the fact that that might be unfold over two years through a post-June 1 minimize, the Broncos’ 2025 finish of that complete — slated at $55M — would nonetheless eclipse what it might price the Cardinals to maneuver Murray in 2024. Nonetheless, Arizona can be tagged with $46M in lifeless cash if Murray have been traded earlier than June 1. Till the Wilson minimize commences, the Falcons’ $40.5M Matt Ryan dead-money hit resides because the NFL’s single-player file.
The Playing cards owe Murray an $11.9M assure on March 17 — Day 5 of the 2023 league yr — if he’s nonetheless on the roster; that cash covers a part of his 2025 wage. The year-out assure would stand to drive an early commerce, however it might be punitive for the Cardinals. And it doesn’t seem Arizona will think about it.
Whereas it’s too early to name the Steve Keim-era funding a lock to stay with the now-Ossenfort-led Cardinals in the long run, Gannon continues to insist the previous No. 1 total decide will not be leaving the desert in 2024.