TEMPE, Ariz. — After the ninth workout of organized-team activities, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray on Wednesday was asked a simple question: After everything that you’ve experienced, the contract situation, the ACL injury, the recent losing, are you happy entering your sixth season?
Murray responded with a brief summary of his pro career.
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“Being a rookie, just trying to get better every game.” (Murray wins AP Offensive Rookie of the Year!)
“Year 2, feeling really comfortable and exploding onto the scene.” (Murray makes the Pro Bowl!)
“Year 3, OK, let’s ride.” (Murray takes Arizona to the playoffs for the first time in six years!)
“Four, obviously that was a down year. To be the No. 1 overall draft pick, obviously the circumstances that you go into, I think we got better every year. But Year 4 was kind of a painful one, obviously getting hurt.” (Murray tears ACL.)
“Year 5, new regime, sitting there learning and everything, just trying to be there to support the guys.” (Murray misses nine games recovering from surgery.)
“So I think going into Year 6 … am I excited? Hell yeah, I’m excited.”
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It’s strange. For a team coming off a 4-13 season, there’s noticeable optimism in the Valley of the Sun. Some of this stems from the popular belief that next season will always be better. But it’s also impossible to ignore Murray’s comfort level and confidence. That obviously has to do with his health, but his relationship with head coach Jonathan Gannon should not go overlooked.
Important to note: Gannon doesn’t care about external optimism, especially at this time of year. Asked Wednesday about it, he started shaking his head before a reporter could even finish the question. The Cardinals understand the standard, he said. No one’s high-fiving, celebrating culture changes inside the team offices. Winning is all that matters.
Come September, that starts with Murray.
The 26-year-old has had an uneven five years. It’s easy to forget that not long ago Murray was trending toward stardom. For the first half of 2021, when Arizona started 10-2, he was in the MVP discussion. But in 2022, Kliff Kingsbury’s final season, Murray regressed. Then he tore up his knee. After the Cardinals parted ways with Kingsbury and GM Steve Keim, it was reasonable to wonder how Murray fit in the organization’s future. That’s no longer the case. Since his arrival, Gannon has praised the quarterback’s work habits and desire.
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Asked on a recent radio show to describe his relationship with Murray, Gannon initially joked that the quarterback was his best friend. More seriously, he added: “From a competitive standpoint, we are very similar. ‘Hey, this is what I need from you. This is what you need from me. Let’s deliver.'”
Murray on Wednesday recalled the afternoon he met Gannon. It was after the head coach’s introductory news conference. The former defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, Gannon was coming off a Super Bowl loss. Murray had been in the building rehabbing his knee. The two talked for about three minutes. The conversation itself wasn’t important, it was the vibe, Murray said. The connection. The two just clicked.
Marvin Harrison Jr. snags one from Kyler Murray during Arizona Cardinals OTAs. #AZCardinals pic.twitter.com/9JK92pJYvV
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) June 5, 2024
“I think (with) all relationships, you got to know yourself and then you got to know the other person,” Gannon said. “Then you got to communicate and be honest. I think after we kind of learned about each other a little bit, then that kind of took off.”
Gannon is a frequent texter, and this once got Murray into trouble. The head coach has a 24-hour rule. That is, when he texts someone, he expects a response within 24 hours. Over time, he noticed that Murray texted back immediately if it was about something that piqued his curiosity. If not, the return text tended to take a while.
“Yeah, he got on me one time because I forgot to text him back, but, no, I was not aware of that rule,” Murray said.
Gannon’s texts can be about anything.
“Anything that he sees (or) I see, but it doesn’t even have to be football,” Murray said. “And that’s where he goes to the next level. You got a guy that you would legit run through a wall for. I think he’s just got that aura about him. He actually cares about the players, and he holds everybody accountable. It’s not fake. He doesn’t treat me any different than he would a rookie.”
During OTA’s last year, Murray had to work with a strength coach off to the side. He learned the offense and attended meetings, but it wasn’t the same. Even when he started playing in November, he caught himself thinking instead of reacting. This spring has been different. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing tweaked timing patterns to better suit Murray’s quickness. And Murray has built chemistry with wide receivers, including star rookie Marvin Harrison, Jr.
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The comfort level and confidence reminds Murray of how he felt in 2018, the year he won the Heisman Trophy during his junior season at Oklahoma. Yes, he knows college is different, but it just has a similar “feel,” he said. With more depth on the offensive line and a strong running back in James Conner, he expects the Cardinals to have one of the league’s top offenses.
“I just feel really locked into what we’re doing,” Murray said. “For me, confidence (is) understanding where to go with the ball no matter what they’re doing because I’ve been in the system a year. When you feel like that, man, the sky’s the limit. I’ve played quarterback my whole life but when you’re at that point, and I really can’t explain it to y’all, but it’s a good feeling. … Yeah, I’m excited.”
(Photo of Kyler Murray at last month’s OTAs: Rob Schumacher / The Republic / USA Today Network)
