"What the hell is going on in Arizona?": Pat McAfee raises major red flag on Cardinals' Kyler Murray plan since $230,500,000 extension
The Arizona Cardinals signed quarterback Kyler Murray to a massive contract extension last summer. The Cardinals appear to be in complete disarray a year later, with the QB situation unclear. Murray is currently rehabbing from a torn ACL that he suffered at the end of the 2022 NFL season.
The Cardinals have made some interesting trades in the last few months, leaving many believing they could be trying to 'tank.' Sports analyst Pat McAfee discussed the current state of the Arizona Cardinals on his show on Wednesday morning.
Speaking about the recent player departures as well as the quarterback situation, McAfee said:
"You see, at one point, Budda [Baker], who's one of the faces, who's like get me the [expletive] out of here. Then Larry Fitzgerald retires. DHop says come get me. What the hell is going on over there in Arizona?
"They're gonna have to start from brand new, you think? Is this 100% Kyler Murray's team? Is that what Gannon is doing? They're giving it to Colt McCoy. Now they're like, we're not announcing a starter."
McAfee said that although many have assumed that quarterback Colt McCoy would get the start in Murray's absence. The team now appears to be holding out on announcing a starting QB for Week 1.
With so much uncertainty in the signal-caller room, McAfee and NFL fans have been left wondering what new head coach Jonathan Gannon has planned for his first season with the team.
Where does Kyler Murray rank among the NFL's highest-paid quarterbacks?
The Arizona Cardinals locked up quarterback Kyler Murray on a five-year contract extension last season. The deal was worth $230.5 million, including $160 million in guaranteed money.
At the time of the signing, the annual salary of $46.1 million made Murray the second highest-earning quarterback in the NFL.
Now, a year later, Murray's lucrative salary ranks him as the fifth highest-paid quarterback in the league, according to Spotrac.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert tops the list at $52.5 million, followed by the Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson in a close second at $52 million a season.
Eagles' quarterback Jalen Hurts jumped into the top three with $51 million a season, and Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is the fourth-highest at $48.517 million.
Cardinals' win projection for 2023
The Arizona Cardinals finished the 2022 NFL season with a 4-13 record, last in the NFC West division. Since then, Arizona has parted ways with coach Kliff Kingsbury and several players. The Cardinals were expected to get better heading into the 2023 NFL season, but it doesn't appear they have.
FOX Sports has projected that the Arizona Cardinals will win just three games in 2023, leaving them with a 3-14 record, a game worse than last season. The Cardinals will no doubt start the season without Kyler Murray, which leaves them at an obvious disadvantage.