Kingsbury: 'Long-term goal' to have Murray be Cardinals' QB

Kyler Murray is pushing for a firm commitment from the Arizona Cardinals, and his head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, wants nothing more than to grant the quarterback his wish.

"Our long-term goal is to have Kyler Murray be our quarterback," Kingsbury said Tuesday at the NFL combine. "He understands that and he understands my view of him and how I feel about him."

Murray's agent, Erik Burkhardt, released a statement Monday emphasizing the quarterback's desire to stay in Arizona amid rumors of friction.

Burkhardt also revealed he sent a contract extension proposal to the Cardinals, which would represent "a real commitment from the organization" to compete for championships and would match the current quarterback market.

Kingsbury said he hasn't talked to Murray since the statement came out but acknowledged "it's part of the business."

Murray is now eligible for a new deal after completing his third NFL season.

The 2019 No. 1 pick scrubbed all mentions of the Cardinals from his Instagram account in early February, sparking speculation he could be looking to force an exit.

Reports then surfaced that Arizona was unhappy with Murray's leadership skills. Murray, meanwhile, apparently felt the Cardinals framed him as the scapegoat for their blowout playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The Cardinals and Murray later publicly claimed they were no issues between them, with the quarterback calling the speculation "nonsense."

Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said later on Tuesday that he believes Murray will play for Arizona in 2022 even without a new contract, according to Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network.

Keim added he intends to pick up the fifth-year option in Murray's rookie deal.