MJD: “I’m taking Kyler Murray for the next 12 years”

In the wake of Monday’s announcement of Patrick Mahomes’ mega contract, NFL.com posed a question to many of their prominent analysts.

“If you could sign any current QB - other than Mahomes - for the next 12 years, who would you take?”

Twelve years is a long time for any single athlete, including starting NFL quarterbacks. Standout Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson is only entering his ninth NFL season, while Falcon’s QB Matt Ryan only recently reached that plato of 12 years after entering the league back in 2008.

In other words, it’s a monumental feat to reach that likely goes hand-in-hand with a Hall of Fame jacket.

As for the responses to the question, they were mixed. Joe Thomas and Brian Baldinger opted for Houston’s Deshaun Watson, while DeAngelo Hall went with 2019 league MVP Lamar Jackson.

Both Kurt Warner and Charley Casserly opted to choose no current NFL signal caller.

Where’s the fun in that!?

That left former Pro Bowl RB Maurice Jones-Drew with his choice:

“I’m taking the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Kyler Murray. The kid is a ripe 22 years old and the centerpiece of an Arizona Cardinals team on the comeup. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick lived up to the hype as a dual-threat quarterback who thrilled in Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense with impressive throws and timely rushes. Some might argue that Lamar Jackson would be a better choice, but Murray’s playing style isn’t quite as concerning as the reigning league MVP’s.”

The fact that Kyler Murray is in this conversation that includes the likes of Watson, Mahomes and Jackson speaks to what the Cardinals have in the former Heisman winner. Murray is entering year two of his young NFL career and won't turn 23 until August 7th.

Meanwhile, some notable omissions from this list include Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz (27), Dallas’ Dak Prescott (26) and Buffalo’s Josh Allen (24). All have reached the post season in their young careers and enter the 2020 season as playoff contenders.

The Arizona Cardinals have never had a blossoming franchise quarterback, which would make it all the more likely that the team would opt to try and secure a deal early in his career. They’ve tried and failed with the likes of Matt Leinart, Kevin Kolb and most recently Josh Rosen. All of whom were considered, at one time, the future face of the Arizona Cardinals.

Most famously the Cardinals have found success in the veteran free agent market when it came to starting quarterbacks. Kurt Warner was signed to a modest one year contract back in 2005. The Hall of Famer then parlayed that contract into two more, both of which were seen as reasonable given his age.

When the Cardinals traded for veteran Carson Palmer in the spring of 2013, they inherited his previous deal from the Oakland Raiders. Palmer then opted to restructure a two-year contract worth a mere $16 million. On November 7, 2014, Palmer agreed to a three-year, $49.5 million contract extension with the Cardinals.

This is all modest chump change to what the Cardinals may eventually commit to Kyler Murray.

Is Kyler Murray deserving of this continued national praise? Would you be comfortable giving the young gunslinger a 12 year extension?

Let me know in the comments below.