What happens the rest of the offseason with Kyler Murray's contract situation is to be determined, but Cardinals GM Steve Keim was adamant and blunt Thursday when asked if the quarterback could be traded.
"Zero chance," Keim said.
Murray seeks an extension, and that is no secret. But coach Kliff Kingsbury said he does expect the QB to come to offseason work "at some point" and Keim, while not promising an extension was guaranteed, certainly laid out the possibility it would come before the season.
"The way we have approached it is we have free agency, we have the draft, and then we will take a deep breath and sort of re-focus," Keim said. "That's sort of the reason every other player that has been a third-year quarterback has been (extended) in the middle of the summer or late summer. It's no different for us.
"Nothing has changed in terms of him being our long-term and short-term quarterback."
Keim's comment of no possibility of a trade garnered some expected doubt over social media, with Kingsbury's quote about Josh Rosen "is our guy" prior to the selection of Murray echoing across Twitter. But that situation and the current spot with Murray couldn't be more different.
Rosen struggled as a rookie and the Cardinals were in a position to draft Murray in 2019. Murray, meanwhile, has been a successful Pro Bowl quarterback even if he has struggled in certain spots. Not only has Murray been good by anyone's standards, the alternative would not be appealing to any team – just ask the Seahawks, who have dealt away Russell Wilson and have little hope in 2022.
"Listen, I was a decent GM when Carson Palmer was our quarterback," Keim said. "When he retired, I wasn't very good. I am smart enough to know Kyler Murray makes me a better GM."
Murray even had a comment about staying in Arizona on Twitter in response to former Cardinal Patrick Peterson's comments Murray will want to leave. "I wanna win Super Bowls with the Cardinals. AZ is home," Murray tweeted.
Both Kingsbury and Keim have had recent conversations with Murray.
"We both understand to keep it on a professional level," Kingsbury said. "We just talk football. We talk how to get better schematically, x's and o's. He always wants to know about personnel, who we are trying to sign, who are we trying to draft, but it's all about football."
Kiem said he's had a conversation with Murray within the last week as the two discuss what the Cardinals might do in the draft.
Keim said Murray is a "football junkie" and the GM said he likes to hear from players like Murray, like DeAndre Hopkins, like Palmer back in the day to give him a different perspective than he or a scout might have.
"No reason I shouldn't pick their brain," Keim said, adding with a smile, "I won't tell you what his wish list is."
Player-wise, Murray's wishes are a secret. The desire for a new contract is not. But owner Michael Bidwill, on the most recent episode of Flight Plan, noted the team and Murray have stayed in constant contact despite the "noise."
"It's the business of the NFL," Kingsbury said. "It comes with the territory."
