What about the 81 million dead money hit? I don’t see the Cardinals eating that. What am I missing? It’s never talked about here.
Those numbers are not correct, Mark. If they cut him and designate him as a post-June 1 release, their 2024 cap hit would be 48.3 million, and for 2025 it would be 33.2 million.
If they trade him, it would give 46.2 million in dead money on the 2024 cap, but nothing on the 2025 cap. It would also save them more than 35 million in real cash, which Michael Bidwill might appreciate (even though he is not as cheap as his dad.)
Yes, it is a lot of money, but it cannot be stressed enough that the salary cap has changed. It is not like fans had come to know it. The salary cap continues to go up and up, and due to the current TV deal, teams know that the rise will only continue at the same rate. One thing it means it that teams are
a lot more comfortable with taking on dead money.
Then you also have to hold it against paying a rookie quarterback. Last year, the #1 pick had a cap number of 7.5 million. In the future years it would be much, much cheaper than keeping Murray.
Obviously there has to be a buyer for them to move Murray, but I have no doubt that someone is willing to pay big money for a 26-year-old potential superstar who already know the league. Look at how many average quarterbacks are in the NFL – none of them with a shot of winning the Super Bowl.