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The Arizona Cardinals are finding little success in finding a replacement for head coach Kliff Kingsbury, and Kyler Murray is part of the issue according to a recent report.
The quarterback’s massive contract extension has become a deterrent for potential suitors.
Murray landed a $230M deal with the Cardinals last offseason, with $160M being guaranteed. Oddly enough, that agreement came equipped with a film study clause, which was later removed after fan outrage.
The deal ties Murray to the organization for the next four years.
Pro Football Network states that the recent extension is cause for concern for many candidates with potential interest in the head coaching opening.
Why is the Arizona Cardinals head coach job taking so long to fill? If you are to believe what people in Mobile are saying, it’s due to Kyler Murray — and it’s not because the quarterback has a large say in the matter.
Rather, many of the desired candidates don’t want to take the job knowing they’ll be tied to the hip of Murray for the next four seasons. Murray signed a five-year, $230 million contract in late August, and anyone who takes the Cardinals job will have no options in the foreseeable future at quarterback.
Murray burst onto the scene in 2019, winning the league’s Rookie of the Year award. He then landed a pair of Pro Bowl invites over the next two seasons. That production led to the salary boost, but his success on the field fell off last season.
The passer posted career lows in touchdowns and yards, then suffered a season-ending injury after 11 starts. That injury could potentially cause him to miss time in the 2023 season.
Fans were skeptical at the time of the quarterback’s extension, and even a few Cardinals players voiced their displeasure with the agreement.
Now, it appears it’s affecting the team’s coaching search in a negative way as candidates don’t want to have their futures tied to the quarterback’s play.
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Arizona has gained little traction with a replacement while openings in Carolina, Denver, and Houston continue to get filled.
The Cardinals essentially chose Kyler Murray over Kliff Kingsbury when they fired the coach last season. That move could come back to bite them.