QB Murray signs $230.5M deal to stay with Arizona
The drama is over and the decision is in: Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals have made a long-term commitment to each other with a new contract that would keep the quarterback in the desert through the 2028 season.
The two-time Pro Bowl selection was taken with the No. 1 overall pick out of Oklahoma after he won the Heisman Trophy and has largely delivered in his quest to make the Cardinals a better franchise.
ESPN reported Thursday that the deal could be worth $230.5 million, with $160 million guaranteed.
Murray’s new deal puts him on par with other young star QBs throughout the league like Buffalo’s Josh Allen, who signed a deal worth more than $250 million last season. Murray will make an average of more than $46 million per season, which is similar to other elite quarterbacks such as Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Allen.
Listed at 5-foot-10, some worried Murray was too short to be a dominant pro quarterback, but his stats through three seasons prove otherwise. He’s completed nearly 67% of his passes through 46 career games for 11,480 yards and 70 TDs while rushing for 1,786 yards and 20 TDs.
Arizona had a 5-10-1 record during his rookie season in 2019 but the Cardinals improved to 11-6 last season before losing to the Rams in the NFC Wild Card round of the playoffs.
• The Browns reached an agreement with free-agent QB Josh Rosen on a oneyear contract, giving them another veteran as they await a ruling on Deshaun Watson.
Rosen, the former UCLA quarterback who was on Cleveland’s radar before the 2018 draft, will officially sign the contract today.
Watson is facing a possible NFL suspension after being accused by two dozen female massage therapists of sexual misconduct during sessions while the threetime Pro Bowler played for the Houston Texans.
• Super Bowl winner Charles Johnson died at the age of 50, according to his alma mater, the University of Colorado. The cause of death was not announced.
Johnson, who prepped at Cajon High in San Bernardino, was drafted by the Steelers with the No. 17 overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft. He won the Super Bowl in the 2001 season with the Patriots.
Over the course of his nine-year NFL career, Johnson had 4,606 receiving yards and 24 TDs. He spent five years in Pittsburgh before moving to Philadelphia, New England and Buffalo. also at 7-under, and Cheyenne Knight was another stroke back.
• Scott Piercy shot a 6-under 65 to share the 3M Open lead with Sungjae Im after the first round of the PGA Tour event.
Tony Finau was two strokes back, with three near misses of birdie putts over his last four holes, along with Brice Garnett, Doug Ghim, Emiliano Grillo and Tom Hoge.
• Paul Waring tied the course record with a 9-under 63 at Hillside to take a two-stroke lead in the first round of the DP World Tour’s Cazoo Classic.
Garrick Porteous shot 65 to be alone in second, and Julien Guerrier, Grant Forrest, Jens Dantorp and Richard Mansell were tied for third.