The Arizona Cardinals sent their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to the Baltimore Ravens for No. 1 wide receiver Marquise Brown and a third-round pick. It's exciting that Brown will get out of a run-first offense and have an opportunity to make a major impact in another system, but it's also exciting because he reunites with quarterback Kyler Murray, who won the Heisman Trophy during his time with Brown at Oklahoma.
Murray's looming extension has been the story of Arizona's preseason, but Brown is due a contract soon as well. The former No. 25 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft has two years remaining on his deal, but Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury says he'd "love" to get an extension done, and that the franchise views "Hollywood" as a long-term piece in the offense.
"Yeah, we'd love to get it done," Kingsbury told USA TODAY Sports. "Hollywood is a guy that we see as a long-term answer."
The wide receivers market exploded this offseason. According to Spotrac's calculated market value projection tool, Brown is projected to sign a four-year, $68,459,400 deal that carries an AAV of $17.1 million. That AAV would make him the 17th-highest-paid receiver in the NFL.
Brown will have an immediate opportunity to play the role of No. 1 wideout in 2022, as DeAndre Hopkins will be sidelined for the first six games of the regular-season due to a PED suspension. Kingsbury has said he already likes what he's seen out of his new weapon.
"He works really hard. I know his name is Hollywood, so you think he'd be chilling, but he works really hard. He's a great practice player. Anything you ask him to do he's going full speed," Kingsbury said. "He has a quick twitch, he's dynamic, he can really run, and for a smaller guy, he can really track the ball well down the field and make plays."
Brown is coming off of a career campaign in which he caught 91 passes for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. While he flashed as an effective downfield weapon, he also struggled with drops at times. Still, "Hollywood" just turned 25, and should have his best football ahead of him. Kingsbury clearly views he and Murray as a prospective dynamic duo that could serve as the face of the franchise for years to come.
