Kyler Murray's contract with the Arizona Cardinals has suddenly become an issue, as his agent, Erik Burkhardt, released a lengthy statement on Monday explaining why the 24-year-old wants to be the franchise's long-term starter. The statement also placed Arizona in a bind, as Burkhardt shared a detailed proposal for a potential contract extension.
This latest drama from Murray's camp comes just weeks after the former first overall pick scrubbed all team-related content from his social media. Back in early February, a report from ESPN said that Murray believed he was "framed as the scapegoat" for Arizona's ugly wild-card round loss. Murray addressed and denied those rumors of discontent.
"We have moved into a different space, where you have negotiations taking place in public. And this isn't new," JR said during the JR SportBrief show on Monday. "We've had athletes lobby for their own contracts, agents lobby for their own contracts. But damn, when you're putting out massive statements, just negotiating publicly, it's tough to swallow. Do people really want to sign up, read, and see all of that? That Murray wants to get paid?...
"I don't think this puts pressure on the Cardinals -- I think this creates more friction. I'm all in favor for anybody getting their money and speaking up. Is he being mistreated that poorly by the Cardinals, he needs to publicly slap them in the face? Y'all can't figure this out on your own? I think you have enough of the leverage. What's the better option if you don't have Kyler Murray?"
Murray threw for a measly 137 yards with two interceptions in the Cardinals' wild-card loss to the rival Los Angeles Rams, and completed just 19 passes with a career-low 40.9 passer rating. For the season, he amassed 3,787 yards with 29 all-purpose touchdowns, 423 rushing yards, 10 interceptions, and 13 own fumble recoveries. Murray -- entering his fourth NFL season -- will earn a base salary of $965,000 in 2022, and with bonuses factored in, his total cap hit will be $11.3 million.
JR's complete thoughts on Murray and the Cardinals can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.