The future of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has been in doubt for months. At first glance, Arizona’s 4-12 record with one week remaining does not bode well for success.
Murray was great at learning a new offense, managing a depleted support system, and recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus in less than a year.
From the outside, Murray’s performance is enough to solidify his progress.
“There’s no question (Murray was our quarterback last year). I like that guy. “It’s not about one person, but you know I’m a Keller guy,”
Gannon said (h/t Arizona Sports) you have a quarterback who you know can’t play.
I just hear about everything he’s done, how hard he’s worked to get to this point, playing the kind of football he’s won or lost in a new system, coming back from his injury.
In seven games, Murray completed 154 of 238 passes for 1,537 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. All week, Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon tried to minimize the impact of his return to Philadelphia.
Gannon has been criticized in Philadelphia since the Eagles were blown out by 10 points before the Super Bowl last season while Gannon was the defensive coordinator.
He took the second-half kick and got on the offensive, scoring touchdowns on all four possessions.
Murray had a near-perfect performance in the second half, completing 13 of 14 passes and scoring two touchdowns. Rookie wide receiver Michael Wilson said Murray is “phenomenal.”
Since returning from ACL surgery, Murray has led the Cardinals to a 3-4 record. Sunday’s game was his best performance of his short season, but he downplayed his idea that he was finally back to himself.
“No, I don’t say, ‘Oh, I just…'”
Murray said, trailing off.
Sunday, he set career highs in carries and yards in the first half.
“Kyler was completely beside himself today. “James Conner was completely beside himself,”
Gannon said.
Arizona’s second half was much different than the first. After Murray threw an interception due to a miscommunication with Wilson, Eagles safety Sidney Brown returned it 99 yards for a 21-6 lead at halftime. And then the second half began.
“I think it just took off,”
Murray said.
A stoic, expressionless Gannon stood at the podium after the game and once again tried to downplay his return, but players said the coach had been talking to the team about the game behind closed doors all week. And the Cardinals realized it meant something to the 40-year-old Gannon.
“I know he really wanted to win,”
Murray said. On Sunday afternoon, Jaylen Hurts felt Gannon’s history with the Eagles helped him.
“He sat with us in these meetings. He was present at these meetings.”
#Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon on QB Kyler Murray’s future:
Question: Is there any doubt in your mind who your quarterback is going to be next season?
Gannon: "No, there is not."
Question: So Kyler is your guy?
Gannon: "There is no doubt. Number 1' is our franchise… pic.twitter.com/T7yYfcmaSf
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 2, 2024
The first person to greet Gannon on the field before the game was Eagles general manager Howie Roseman.
After the game, several Eagles players lined up to greet the former assistant.
As the 2024 NFL offseason begins, there will be speculation as to whether the Arizona Cardinals will keep Kyler Murray at quarterback or pursue other options in the draft.
Murray was originally selected No. 1 overall in 2019 as Arizona’s franchise QB. Murray and the Cardinals reached the playoffs for the first time in his third season, which is pretty normal for many young quarterbacks.
During that playoff season, Murray started 14 games and went 9-5, completing a career-high 69.2 percent of his passes for 3,787 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
In the only playoff game of his career, Murray had his worst game to date, throwing for zero interceptions, two touchdowns, and just 137 yards. The Cardinals have yet to return to the playoffs after this season.
The Cardinals ideally wanted Murray to develop further since signing him, but they haven’t given him enough support to be consistently successful. Murray has barely played since Jonathan Gannon took over as head coach.
Additionally, Murray has already proven that he can be an excellent NFL quarterback. After all, there was a reason Murray was the consensus No. 1 overall pick the year he was drafted.
The new administration could choose to draft a quarterback to start. Arizona currently has two top-20 draft picks, including the No. 2 overall pick.
Signing a player like Marvin Harrison Jr. instead would give Murray and the Cardinals a legitimate threat offensively and could scare other opponents.
Aside from the need for more weapons, it’s no surprise the team hasn’t been successful considering how poorly the Cardinals are organized.
Arizona didn’t make smart decisions to hurt Murray due to poor decision-making and dominance early on.
One of Murray’s first concerns was reports that he wasn’t watching much video because the Cardinals included a clause in his $230 million max contract extension requiring him to watch more video.
However, his coach and offensive coordinator said Murray has grown a lot this season.
Fans’ reaction was as follows:
Not saying he’s lying but we’ve seen this before in Arizona pic.twitter.com/pM62MgOM6D
— Jarrett Bailey (@JBaileyNFL) January 3, 2024
Agreed. All the mock drafts projecting that AZ would get Caleb never made sense to me😂.
— THE SYSTEM (@Embiid__AllStar) January 2, 2024
Sticking with Kyler for at least one more year is the right decision
— Teebs McGeebs (@TeebsMcGeebs) January 2, 2024
This guy is a liar, I wouldnt account for anything he says
He lied to Eagle fans when we never asked for him to lie,
— Mathew V. Liberto (@The_Suntrip) January 2, 2024
On This Day in 2019: The #Cardinals drafted QB Kyler Murray 1st overall
The pick happened just a year after the Cards took another QB in the 1st round, 10th overall Josh Rosen
The Cards infamously announced they'll stick with Rosen and not draft Murray prior to the Draft, but.. pic.twitter.com/3OtD6TbXNj
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 25, 2023
But but but @mlombardiNFL said that the Cardinals weren’t even going to let Kyler play this year and he wouldn’t be back in 2024…. Wow I’m shocked such a smart guy like Mike Lombardi who suggested the Giants THROW A PUNT to kill the clock at the end of a game was a good idea
— michael rupp (@michaelrupp7) January 2, 2024
