Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is seemingly in contention with the organization. It became public when Murray deleted all but two pictures from his Instagram account. The only two pictures remaining were of him when he was selected as a Hesiman Trophy finalist (he would eventually win the award), and him and fellow Oklahoma Sooner CeeDee Lamb at the Pro Bowl. Murray, yesterday, added a picture of him in a Cardinals uniform with a long caption about how committed he is to the game, more or less.
It seems as if the aforementioned contention is based on the lack of a new contract for Murray, who just finished his third year. It is being heavily speculated that he wants to be paid early and handsomely, to have a commitment from the team. It is unclear whether or not the Cardinals want to commit to that kind of deal after just three years and no deep playoff runs. This may move Murray to demand a trade from the organization.
Here are three potential landing spots for Kyler Murray.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos are clearly in the quarterback market, as can be evidenced by their push for Aaron Rodgers. Some betting outfits have the Broncos actually having the fifth-shortest odds to win the Super Bowl next year, hedging their bets that they might actually land Rodgers.
But if they cannot pry him away from Green Bay, then Murray could be an interesting target. Divisions and conferences are always discussed when trading key pieces, so it is worth noting that the Cardinals would be sending him out of the NFC entirely. The Broncos’ offensive line is also better than the Cardinals’, and it would only be a slight downgrade in terms of receiving threats.
This trade could make sense if the Broncos are willing to give up a little too much for Murray in terms of draft picks. They would also have to pay him big money right off the bat, too.
New Orleans Saints
This trade would have to be a leap of faith on Murray’s part. New Orleans currently has the worst cap situation in the league, and need to fight their way out of it. They also do not currently have a quarterback that everyone agrees is dynamic.
If Murray trusts that the Saints would pay him either before or after his fourth or fifth year, then this trade could fix some problems. They would have a dynamic quarterback on a cheap contract that could help them win both now and in the future, and a little more direction in terms of clearing that cap space.
New Orleans could also send some high-priced players over to the Cardinals in the trade in lieu of a total boatload of draft picks. That would further alleviate their situation, and not slam the door shut on the Cardinals’ playoff hopes.
Major League Baseball
Murray was drafted ninth overall by the Oakland A’s, just in case he decided to play baseball and forgo the NFL. He was clearly pretty highly-touted if he was drafted in the top 10, so why not go give it a shot?
If money is what he is worried about, and, clearly, it is at least a driving factor here, then there is no better sport to go earn it than baseball. No salary cap exists in the MLB, which allows for truly exorbitant contracts over periods up to a decade or more. He has said many times before he would be open to playing in the MLB, and he would still be welcomed with open arms in any system.
He would more than likely have to work his way up through the farm-system ranks, but if he is any kind of player, then that will not last long. Fans will want to see Murray in the majors as soon as possible, so all he has to do is stay healthy and play decently well. It wouldn’t be a bad power play if he does not see the money he thinks he deserves coming to him.
Featured image courtesy of Getty Images
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