“Money reveals who you are” - Kyler Murray tipped to become even more unruly after signing massive extension
Kyler Murray is one of the last big unresolved storylines of the offseason. The quarterback wants a massive payday, but the Arizona Cardinals are hesitant to oblige. On Speak for Yourself, NFL analysts Emmanuel Acho and Marcellus Wiley talked about why the Cardinals are hesitant and how paying the quarterback could elevate the drama to a new height.
Acho spoke first, saying that money reveals who someone truly is:
“Money doesn't change who you are, money just reveals who you are. So if Kyler Murray is immature with less money, if Kyler Murray [is] highly emotional with less money, if Kyler Murray has a propensity to get on social media and start drama with less money. If Kyler Murray is allegedly a bad leader with less money, and money ain't gonna change them."
Acho said that money isn't going to quiet the quarterback. It is simply going to make him louder:
"Someone's not gonna make any of those things better. Oh, money is going to do is take a microphone, [magnifying] glass and put it over him. Why, in God's name, would you want to reveal who Kyler Murray is at this junction of Kyler Murray."
Acho wrapped up his point, saying that acting up before payday proves what they'll be after payday:
"We've seen Ryan Clark talk about Antonio Brown in regards to that. You know, I know several teammates [who] as soon as they got paid, boy, did they start acting bad! Now imagine if they was acting up before he got paid.”
Wiley also spoke on the subject, explaining why the Cardinals are holding off on paying the quarterback, despite knowing they want him long-term:
“Because there's someone in that room, capologists, that realizes, here we are right now. We know we're going to marry Kyler Murray. We're just trying to extend when we get married. Let me tell you why. Because where are you gonna find another franchise quarterback? You're not."
He went on to explain how hard it is to find a quarterback:
"It's so difficult to find them in the draft, so difficult that you're never gonna see one in free agency. It's so rare. Let me remind you that [they] were seven and no last year before injury. Maybe this year, you can finish the deal. But the cat biologist is sitting there saying, 'Hey, guys, here's a simple mathematical formula.'"
Wiley wrapped up his point, calling on the Cardinals to pony up and pay the quarterback:
"Do you want a salary to go up with the cap, which means we don't get that difference versus if you just pay him now and then the cap goes up? We benefit from that gap. It's a simple mathematical equation... Let's get the money to him now [when] he's still a cheaper version of what he's going to be.”
Kyler Murray's career in the NFL
2022 marks the fourth year of the young quarterback's career. According to Pro Football Reference, he was initially selected by the Arizona Cardinals first overall in 2019. In his rookie season, the Cardinals went 5-10-1 on his watch. During the season, he threw for 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
In 2020, the quarterback threw for 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions but led his team to an 8-8 record. In 2021, he missed a couple of games due to injury but took the team to its greatest heights. The team made the playoffs and went 9-5 on his watch.
In 14 starts, he threw for 24 touchdowns and ten interceptions, posting a 69.2 percent completion percentage. In his career, the signal-caller is 22-23-1 and has thrown for 70 touchdowns and 34 interceptions.