Kyler Murray’s new contract has implications for the broader quarterback market, but the Lions’ situation with Jared Goff is patently unaffected.
It always seemed likely, but the Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray agreed a contract extension on Thursday (five years, $230.5 million). The deal will make him the second-highest paid quarterback in the league based on average annual value ($46.1 million) and guarantee him a total of $160 million.
Murray’s deal absolutely has some implications for the quarterbacks who are next in line for new contracts–Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert easily come to mind.
John Maakaron of SI.com wondered what Murray’s new deal could mean for Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
It is now evident the top signal-callers in the game are commanding north of $40 million per season.
So, is Lions signal-caller Jared Goff worth an annual salary in this range?
Lions: Kyle Murray’s contract has no impact on Jared Goff
Starting on a macro level, Goff has three years left on his contract with cap hits of $31.15 million, $30.65 million and $31.65 million. The Lions can release him next offseason, and leave behind just $10 million of that 2023 cap hit behind in dead money. In 2024, the dead money hit becomes $5 million.
Goff will turn 28 in October. So in a broad sense, he has a lot of years possibly left in his career and if things go well this year the Lions could consider giving him a contract extension.
But giving Goff a contract extension also means, depending on how guaranteed money is structured, committing something to him beyond 2024. Right now, they aren’t firmly committed to him for 2023 and they could find his replacement in next April’s draft.
The Rams acknowledged their mistake in giving Goff a big contract before that deal actually started. The market has changed since then, with the top of the market stretching beyond $40 million a year and leaving quarterbacks of Goff’s middle of the road ilk behind.
Maakaron, surely sarcastically, suggested Goff could command Murray money if he leads the Lions to a playoff win this year. But the Cardinals gave Murray what the market commanded for a top-end quarterback, and the Lions have no such command to acknowledge when it comes to Goff.