Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray received the commitment from head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort heading into the 2024 season despite a down couple of years.
Murray suffered a torn ACL 11 games into the 2022 season. This came immediately ahead of the Cardinals moving off then-head coach Kliff Kingsbury. At that point, there were open questions about Murray and his future in the desert.
The former No. 1 pick had signed a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension with Arizona heading into the 2022 season. What followed was drama between Murray and the aforementioned Kingsbury. There were also widespread questions about the quarterback’s maturity level.
Fast forward less than two years, and it seems as is Murray’s relationship with the Cardinals has been rekindled. Specifically, he’s drawing rave reviews from within the organization.
“Concerns about Murray’s leadership and preparation have faded. Coaches and teammates rave about the quarterback’s commitment and drive. He is healthy. His supporting cast is better. And he understands what it means to be the face of the franchise,” Doug Haller of The Athletic reported recently.
Is Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray prepared to take that next step
Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Murray returned from the ACL tear last season, starting eight games. He threw for 1,799 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. At points throughout the campaign, it seemed as if he was ready to return to earlier-career form. But the consistency just wasn’t there.
Arizona also lacked the skill-position talent to help Murray out. Hence, why the team exhausted its first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (No. 4 overall) on star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Arizona also spent a third-round pick on running back Trey Benson.
The hope here is that these two youngsters can make an immediate impact as Murray attempts to turn around what has to be seen as a fledgling career.
Kyler Murray career stats: 66.6% completion, 15,647 passing yards, 2,448 rushing yards, 120 total TD, 46 INT
It was not too long ago that Murray was seen as the face of the Cardinals franchise. Back in 2020 and 2021, he combined for 66 total touchdowns and 22 interceptions.
Heading into his sixth NFL season, the onus is on Murray to prove that he’s turned the corner. At least at this stage in the summer, things seem to be pointing in that direction.
