Arizona Cardinals 3 worst contracts heading into 2023
The Arizona Cardinals are in a good spot from a cap standpoint at the moment, but there are still a few contracts they could live without.
By Sion Fawkes
As a rebuilding team comprising players on reasonable or rookie deals, the Arizona Cardinals have very few bad contracts. That is a good thing for a team overhauling its roster and looking to get younger, and we can applaud general manager Monti Ossenfort for showing much-needed restraint in his first offseason with the Redbirds.
Further, all of the “bad” contracts on today’s list comprise players from, you guessed it, late in the Steve Keim era. Keim had a penchant for either signing players for more than they were worth at the moment, or bringing on and extending players whose respective careers could be heading south in the foreseeable future.
So who has lucrative deals that might cost the Cardinals in the near-future and could create some minor setbacks? Here are three players whose current contracts we are not entirely fond of.
Arizona Cardinals 3 worst contracts for 2023
1 - Kyler Murray, QB
While I have spoken highly of Kyler Murray throughout the offseason, it doesn’t hide the fact that his contract is one of the worst in the NFL. As it stands, Murray’s average annual salary sits at $46.1 million per Spotrac, which is a lofty number for a quarterback who underperformed last season and is currently on the PUP.
The upside is obvious, as Murray still has a chance to redeem himself this season in a new offense and under a new coach. But if he returns and looks rusty for a second straight season, the Arizona Cardinals will find themselves in a not so desirable situation.
If Murray can turn things around in 2023, then the Redbirds will have a major boost moving forward, and the uncertainty regarding Murray’s contract may evaporate a little. But until that occurs, there is no way we can talk about bad contracts without including Murray’s deal.