National Football League

Kyler Murray's playoff stumble raises contract questions

Published Jan. 18, 2022 6:53 p.m. ET

Kyler Murray's first playoff outing was one he'd probably like to forget.

In fact, Murray's performance in the Cardinals' 34-11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams was likely his worst all season.

Murray was held stagnant to such a degree that Odell Beckham Jr.'s 40-yard pass to Cam Akers with 12:12 left in the third quarter gave OBJ more passing yards than Murray had in the entire first half.

Up to that point, Murray had mustered just 28 yards on a 7-for-17 clip. He finished the affair with 137 total yards, going 19-for-34, and throwing away two interceptions — one of which became the shortest postseason INT returned for a TD in postseason history.

And though many projected that Murray would receive all he could handle from a rugged Rams defense led by Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey, few foresaw an implosion like this.

The Cards' normally potent offense was completely grounded Monday, posting less than 200 yards of total offense, while Murray had his worst QB rating by far, 40.9, which was 30 points below his season average.

His passing yards total was the lowest among all playoff QBs, while he tied for last in passing TDs (none), and tied for the most INTs thrown.

In the wake of all of this, Arizona now has to shift its focus to the offseason. And one of its biggest central discussions centers directly around Murray's pockets.

2022 will be the last year of Murray's rookie deal, though Arizona has a fifth-year option available for 2023. He's set to bring in a $965,000 base salary, plus a $5.9 million signing bonus and a $4.5 million roster bonus next season. And though his latest performance is what's most fresh in his team's mind, Murray has substantial evidence to make a case for more money.

The dual-threat quarterback was fourth in the NFL this season in both yards per attempt (7.9), and rushing yards (423). He was also sixth in on-target throw percentage (76.3%) and eighth in passer rating (100.6).

And because Murray's been able to remain mostly consistent, Colin Cowherd believes he should be in Arizona's long-term plan.

"Let's take a deep breath," Cowherd said about the team Tuesday on "The Herd."

"The NFC West is the best division in football, and Arizona made the playoffs. And for most of the year before he got hurt, Kyler Murray was spectacular. Generally in the NFL, it's baby steps. A coach gets hired, he cleans up the culture, you start winning some games, then you get into the playoffs. Sometimes your first playoff trip on the road is ugly, it's one-and-done. That's Nick Sirianni. Yes, Kyler looked anxious and nervous. But Josh Allen was awful in his first playoff game, and Lamar Jackson was awful in his. Arizona's going to be just fine. I would absolutely pay him."

The discussion was more complicated, however, for Nick Wright.

"Eighteen hours ago, I don't think it was a question [whether they were going to commit to Kyler long-term]," Wright said on "First Things First."

"The Cardinals were the first team in playoff history to have their first eight possessions be either a three-and-out or a pick. If you're talking about No. 1 overall pick, Heisman trophy winner who is a .500 quarterback through three seasons, Baker [Mayfield] didn't get a contract extension, and his numbers are drastically similar. Baker's won a playoff game. Kyler I believe is far better than Baker, but I want to see a little more, because last night was alarming."

The answer to the predicament was already firm in Chris Broussard's mind.

"I don't know why teams rush to sign these players," Broussard opined.

"Some players it's a no-brainer, but we saw the Rams make a mistake with Jared Goff. They didn't have to sign him, and then they ended up trading him with two first-round draft picks, and a third. There's no reason to re-sign [Murray]. He's locked up until 2024 under contract, and after that you have the franchise tag. Why in the world do I have to rush to sign him? If it costs me more money down the line because he proved that he's my guy, then I'm fine paying him."

Murray has yet to prove his postseason dependability, and his ability to do so could have a substantial impact on his bank account in the years to come.