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If the Arizona Cardinals are wise, they will attempt to sign Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray to a lengthly extension this offseason.
If they are not wise, however, the Cardinals will entertain trading their only homegrown franchise signal caller in team history.
In light of the ongoing social media “scrub” that is still making waives across the national scene, there is external speculation that the Cardinals may be forced into dealing away Murray for pennies on the dollar. Team President and owner Michael Bidwill would undoubtedly prefer to keep Murray, but it may not be up to him. Assuming Murray is at least marginally irritated with the Cardinals organization, considering how the club finished down the stretch, perhaps he is using his social prowess to leverage what he believes are the necessary internal changes. It’s no secret that Murray has long lauded his winning resume, something that was continually on display before joining the Cardinals.
Yet after three seasons and cumulative record of 22-23-1, perhaps Murray is questioning whether or not sustained success is possible with this particular Arizona franchise.
Regardless, should Murray attempt to force ownerships’ hand with the idea of returning to pro baseball, Bidwill and company need to call Murray’s bluff in an effort to save face. Unlikes the NBA, invaluable NFL star players are not typically appeased when demanding they be shipped to other teams.
Especially not franchise quarterbacks.
Murray’s brand, which is growing by the day thanks to his not-so-subtle silence, is arguably bigger than the Arizona Cardinals football franchise as a whole. Which means that, despite all of this social media “drama”, his presence on and off the field keeps the Redbirds relevant. Having Murray at quarterback also ensures that, within the toughest division in football, the Cardinals at least have an opportunity to remain competitive each and every season.
For Bidwill, who has only experienced flash in the pan success with the likes of Warner and Palmer, you cannot put a price on 5-7 more years of high level quarterback play.
Which means that, should Murray demand top-5 quarterback money this offseason, the Cardinals should happily meet his request no questions asked. If they opt to screw around with the process, similar to that of Dallas with quarterback Dak Prescott, they’ll likely be putting themselves in a much more difficult scenario next offseason. Either Bidwill will have to write an even bigger check thanks to inflation at the position, or Murray will attempt to hold out in hopes of a trade.
Combing around the NFL landscape, there is no realistic trade scenario in which the Cardinals could exit the deal feeling good about their return. Per league rules, a team is only allowed to deal away three first-round picks at once, and no competent organization is pairing that package with a franchise QB in return. Not to mention the fact that those presumed picks would instantly become less valuable given Murray’s presence now under center for the receiving team.
The bottomline is, no matter how many fans may disagree with Murray’s often subdued personality, the Bidwill family would never live down trading him away. It’s a move that would live in infamy amongst the worst personnel decisions in Arizona sports history.
Which is why the Cardinals know better than to do it.
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