Less than a week ago, the Arizona Cardinals signed quarterback Kyler Murray to a five-year contract extension worth over $230 million dollars.
The contract includes $160 million guaranteed dollars.
The figures in the contract are symbolic of the trust the Cardinals have in a player they selected with the number-1 overall pick in 2019.
The details of the contact tell a different story. Including in the nine-figure deal is language that requires Murray to spend at least four hours of his own time studying team provided game film.
So let me get this straight. The Cardinals trust Murray enough to fork over nearly a quarter of a billion dollars, but believe he won’t do what is required to make himself the best player he can be?
The fact this language exists tells you everything you need to know about what Murray did not do his first three seasons in the league.
But it’s not Murray who looks foolish in this situation. It’s the Cardinals.
They are the ones opening the check book. They are the ones contradicting themselves. They are the ones who have opened the door to outside criticism each and every time Murray throws an interception or has a bad game.
You either believe in the guy or you don’t.
Murray’s bank account says, “We believe in you.”
The language in the contract says, “We don’t.”
