Cardinals pick up fifth-year option on QB Kyler Murray

Regardless of any drama related to social-media scrubbings and a public request from an agent to pay his client in a big way this offseason, Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim left little doubt in early March he planned to pick up the fifth-year option attached to the rookie contract for two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray. 

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk), Keim proved to be a man of his word and exercised that option roughly 24 hours before the start of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. Alper adds that Murray is now on track to earn a fully guaranteed salary of $29.703 million for the 2023 season unless the signal-caller and his employer come to terms on a long-term extension this spring or summer. 

Keim somewhat defiantly said last week there is "zero chance" Murray will be traded this offseason even though the Cardinals reportedly haven't yet offered the 24-year-old his desired extension. Team owner Michael Bidwill later remarked that trading Murray is "not happening," something Arizona's QB1 seemed happy about when he tweeted: "I wanna win Super Bowls with the Cardinals, AZ is home."

It may be a matter of when, not if, Murray is linked with potential could-be buyers such as the Dallas Cowboys in rumors and betting odds if he doesn't put pen to paper on a deal before next winter. Along with the fifth-year option, the Cardinals could also use the franchise tag to retain Murray's rights through the 2024 campaign, so they still hold plenty of leverage following the day's developments: