Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will have to win over an entirely different regime in the desert following a disastrous 2022 season for the youngster and his team.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim were given their walking papers after Arizona won all of four games. Months removed from signing a long-term contract extension, Murray suffered a torn ACL 11 games into the season. Prior to that, drama existed between the former No. 1 pick and his organization.
Months after the Cardinals moved on from him, Keim provided what has to be considered a sobering assessment of the still-young signal caller.
“He still needs to grow. He’s not a bad guy. He’s a good kid, has a good smile, has a nice way about him. I think it’s like anything: Guys have to continue to learn what it’s going to take to be great. Does he know what Tom Brady and Peyton Manning know of what it takes to be great? No.”
Steve Keim on Kyler Murray, via ArizonaSports.Com
Considering that Keim is the individual who selected Murray No. 1 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, we can’t take his comments with a grain of salt.
While Keim is attempting to be diplomatic here, it’s clear that the overriding issues surrounding Murray early in his career remains. At the very least, in the mind of the former Cardinals general manager.
When Murray signed his five-year, $230.5 million contract extension with the Cardinals last summer, reports broke about some clauses embedded within it.
Initially, the deal required four hours of independant study each week during the season. Said details were alarming:
“For the avoidance of doubt, player shall not receive any credit for Independent Study with respect to any time periods during which any material is displayed or played on an iPad or other electronic device if (a) player is not personally studying or watching the material while it is being displayed or played or (b) player is engaged in any other activitiy that may distract his attention (for example, watching television, playing video games or browsing the internet) while such material is being displayed or played.”
Kyler Murray contract clause
The Cardinals ended up removing this clause from Murray’s contract after it became public record. But it speaks to internal concerns the previous regime in Arizona had regarding his maturity level and commitment. Nothing Keim said in his comments above changes that.
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Kyler Murray needs to win over the Arizona Cardinals
New Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort have no built-in relationship with Murray. And while his contract commits the organizattion to the quarterback for the long term, he still has something to prove.
“Ego will not be tolerated in this organization. We are going to look for focused, driven and people that are willing to put the team first at every step of the way,” Ossenfort said in his intro press conference earlier in the offseason.
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While this wasn’t a direct jab at Murray, it’s clear that Ossenfort was talking about the previous culture in Arizona. As the face of the franchise, Murray spearheaded that.
- Kyler Murray stats (2022): 66.4% completion, 2,368 passing yards, 14 TD, 7 INT, 87.2 QB rating
As you can see, Murray took a major step back on the field this past season. The former Oklahoma star compiled 70 touchdown passes and 34 interceptions in his first three years with the Cardinals.
It’s not a coincidence that they lost eight of 11 with Murray starting in 2022 after earning a playoff spot the previous season.
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