DeMarco Murray's time with the Philadelphia Eagles hasn't gone as planned since he signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the team in the offseason. His frustration with his role in the Eagles offense reached the point that Murray complained to owner Jeffrey Lurie about it on a flight home following a win against the New England Patriots, and some think his time in Philadelphia could be coming to an end already, but that seems unlikely.
DeMarco Murray is probably stuck with the Eagles, even if he hates it
It’s actually more expensive for the Eagles to release DeMarco Murray at this point than it is to just use him as a backup.
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Derrick Gunn of CSN Philadelphia said that Murray is so unhappy with the Eagles that it would be a shock if the running back is with the team in 2016.
Murray, 27, is likely stuck with the Eagles for a while, though. His contract allows the team to cut ties with him before it ends without too many negative consequences, but not this early. If Murray was released after the 2015 season, he would count $13 million against the team’s salary cap in 2016 and $5 million in 2017 even though he wouldn’t be on the roster.
Finding a trade partner for Murray wouldn't be easy, either. He's posting just 3.5 yards per carry during his time with the Eagles so far. While his resume with the Dallas Cowboys warranted plenty of attention in free agency, teams will be wary of picking up a contract that pays $7 million or more in base salary for the next four years after he did so little for Philadelphia.
The Eagles essentially benched Murray during a win over the Patriots, putting the highly paid running back on the field for just 14 plays. Head coach Chip Kelly insisted that the larger linebacker corps of the Patriots is what caused the decision to keep Murray off the field, but the reality is that every other running back on the roster has outperformed him and he could see the field even less with Ryan Mathews reportedly ready to return from injury.
Still, it’s actually more expensive for the Eagles to release Murray at this point than it is to just use him as a rotational back. While he would account for $13 million in dead money if released, he will only count $8 million against the team’s salary cap if he’s on the roster. After 2016, the Eagles could release Murray, actually clear cap space and save money.
So even if Murray hates it in Philadelphia, he should try to make nice, because he’s probably stuck there for at least another year.
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