The Arizona Cardinals very clearly did not want to overpay for quarterback Kyler Murray last summer, but that is precisely what they ended up doing anyway.
Not only did they give the undersized passer a five-year, $230.5 million deal, but they also failed to include any sort of meaningful contingencies to protect themselves against his inevitable failure.
Surely enough, in year one of the new contract, Murray got head coach Kliff Kingsbury fired. That coupled with his ACL injury led to a disastrous 2022-23 NFL campaign for Arizona.
Last week the Cardinals hired Jonathan Gannon to replace Kingsbury. The hope is that he will be able to make something out of Murray.
But some people think that marriage is dead on arrival.
During a recent appearance on Fox Sports’ First Things First, former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz suggested that Murray may never actually play for Gannon.
“People turned down this job, Brian Flores wants a coaching job and said nah, I’m gonna pass and be the defensive coordinator for the Vikings and they hired a defensive coach as well,” Schwartz said.
“The vibes are off right now, man, he’s not playing till November right now. They’re gonna trade his best player away. I don’t know if he ends up ever playing for Gannon. New general manager new, head coach they always want to do with their own quarterback.”
The problem with Murray is that he is a bad quarterback who doesn’t realize he is bad. Last season he blamed his receivers for his own inability to find them. Then he shifted responsibility onto the coaching staff for the Cardinals’ constant offensive breakdowns. Next it will be something else.
Arizona should trade Murray and take the L for signing him to begin with. But finding a suitor will be tough.
— Game 7 (@game7__) February 21, 2023
That said, if rumors like this are already popping up, it’s telling.
Where there is this much smoke there is definitely fire.
Will Murray ever actually play for Gannon or will he get traded before that can happen? Time will tell.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
