After signing a massive five-year, $230.5 million contract extension with the Cardinals ahead of the 2022-2023 season, there were lofty expectations for Kyler Murray as he headed into his fourth year with the team.
However, a torn ACL in Week 13 derailed those plans. The Cardinals wrapped up the season losing seven straight games, resulting in a reset of the front office and coaching staff.
Since then, it has been an uphill battle for Murray to reclaim respect from the rest of the league. Not returning to the field until Week 10 of last season, Murray did finish the year on a high note, throwing for 200+ yards in four consecutive games. Yet, critics remain unconvinced that Murray is the real deal.
This sentiment was once again put on full display in a ranking by Anthony DiBona at Pro Football Talk, an outlet that has repeatedly bashed Murray ever since he signed his lucrative contract with Arizona.
DiBona named the top overrated player from each team in the NFL, and unsurprisingly, he named Kyler Murray for the Cardinals. DiBona wrote, “There’s an old saying that states the best ability is availability. Unfortunately for Kyler Murray, he has struggled to stay healthy in recent years. Despite being regarded as the Arizona Cardinals’ franchise quarterback, he’s failed to live up to the hype. Murray has played just 19 games over the last two seasons, with Arizona winning just six of those starts. At times, he’s shown flashes of potential greatness, but Murray is far too inconsistent to be regarded as a great quarterback and get paid like a top-10 QB.”
In the meantime, head coach Jonathan Gannon has continued to express his full support for the Cardinals’ franchise quarterback. Earlier this offseason, Gannon told reporters, “I think his game’s gonna go to another level. I know it is. I’ve been extremely pleased with where he’s at, what he’s doing, the command and the leadership that he’s displaying right now.”
Drew Petzing, the Cardinals’ offensive coordinator, echoed similar sentiments, saying, “He’s the type of guy that gets better every day.”
With a healthy offense full of some new deadly threats, including #3 overall draft pick Marvin Harrison Jr., a lot is on the line for Kyler Murray this season as he attempts to silence the critics and lead the Cardinals to their first winning season since 2021.
