It appears quarterback Kyler Murray may not be the most popular figure inside the Arizona Cardinals locker room this winter.
Well-known NFL insider Michael Silver reported for Bally Sports that an unnamed Cardinals veteran said that “it was like they created a monster” when the franchise paid Murray last year.
“Once paid, the veteran said, Murray felt less compulsion to study his game plan or to fulfill the expectations of the franchise QB position than he had in the past, and the Cardinals’ collapse felt predictable,” Silver added.
A potentially awkward situation that could’ve involved Murray holding out through the preseason seemed to be solved when it was learned in July he and the Cardinals had agreed to a five-year contract extension reportedly worth $230.5 million with $160 million guaranteed.
Murray repeatedly failed to play up to that deal as the Cardinals fell to 4-8, and he then suffered a season-ending injury in Week 14.
Before the Cardinals fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury, he suggested Murray won’t be ready for the start of the 2023 campaign after the 25-year-old required ACL surgery that included some meniscus repair.
“Because he now has financial security and relies heavily on speed and mobility, Murray may not feel compelled to push it,” Silver wrote about Murray’s recovery.
The Cardinals are searching for a new coach and new general manager following the departure of Steve Keim. It’s been said former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is a Murray “fan” and also could want to pick his own GM, so perhaps Payton and the Cardinals could prove to be a match made in heaven.
Improving Murray’s overall play may quickly become the top task looming over the incoming Arizona coaching staff. Per ESPN stats, Murray ended the season 23rd among qualified players with an 87.2 passer rating, 19th with a 52.1 total QBR, and dead last with an average of 6.1 yards per pass attempt. In fewer than 11 completed games, he threw 14 touchdown passes and rushed for three additional scores, but he also tossed seven interceptions.
