Kyler Murray's Contract Extension Means Nothing For Cardinals' Super Bowl Odds
Kyler Murray padded his pockets with a fat payday that places him amongst the NFL quarterback elite -- at least when it comes to contracts.
The reaction to the news in Las Vegas? Meh.
Murray signed a five-year contract extension worth $230.5 million, including $160 million guaranteed, on Thursday, ending an offseason of contract speculation where at one point reports that Murray was demanding a trade and rumors he would hold out from training camp without a new deal emerged.
Cardinals are giving Kyler Murray a five-year, $230.5 million deal that includes $160 million guaranteed, per source. It gives Murray the second highest paid QB average at $46.1 million per year. https://t.co/tTnUJXGSm3
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 21, 2022
You'd think the new-found stability and the guarantee of Murray's presence in preseason would put the Cardinals in a better position to win this year. Vegas disagrees.
Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl Odds
The Cardinals odds to win the Super Bowl before Murray signed were +2500 at WynnBET, tied for the 12th shortest odds in the NFL. The Cardinals odds to win the Super Bowl after Murray signed remained +2500.
On the NFC West front, the Cardinals are currently third in the odds at +325, behind the Rams (+125) and 49ers (+175).
Of course, a big reason for the long odds and lack of movement is the suspension of star WR DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins, a five-time All-Pro selection, is suspended the first six games of the 2022 season. Then again, he missed seven games last season and the Cardinals won 11 games and made the playoffs, so an interesting counterpoint to my point above.
Anyway, while Murray's extension was the biggest news of the day in the NFL yesterday, it's clear that didn't move the needle for bookmakers. They believe the Cardinals are a middle-of-the-pack team headed into the season and no amount of guaranteed money for the most important player on their team is going to change that.