On the same page: Kyler Murray fully himself under Cardinals new regime

GLENDALE — Relating to those around you can do wonders in the team-building and relationship-forming departments. For quarterback Kyler Murray, that was hard to come by as a rookie.

Thrown into a locker room filled with older veterans, Murray got a firsthand look at just how different the league was in that aspect from his college days.

No longer did he have the benefit of being a couple years apart — if that — with the majority of the roster. It can be a daunting time for any rookie, especially a No. 1 overall pick with lofty expectations and a “lead-by-example” attitude.

But entering Year 6 and nearing 27 years of age, Murray is no longer that young gun trying to find his place in the locker room. And it’s clear to see as he prepares for his second season under a new regime led by general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon.

“Being a little older and having guys around my age, it’s a little easier to give them game about what I experienced and bring them up and we grow together,” Murray said Monday. “No offense to the guys I came in with, I love them, but I came into the locker room with old, old guys. Some of the guys maybe it was their last year, maybe shouldn’t even have been playing anymore but they love the game. That’s just kind of the locker room I was in.

“I’ve always been a guy, ‘How can tell you what to do if I’m not doing it myself?’ It’s been good. I’m very grateful, glad about JG and Monti and the guys that they’re bringing in the locker room. We’re all on the same page.”

That relatability Murray has gained since Arizona’s brass came to town in 2023 was front and center this offseason when the signal caller orchestrated and paid for an offensive excursion to Los Angeles that included both work and play for himself and 12 fellow playmakers.

pic.twitter.com/AB9B2zHJR0

— Kyler Murray (@K1) July 13, 2024

Murray didn’t have that luxury a year ago coming off a torn ACL. Now healthy, he’s not letting an opportunity to get himself and those around him better.

As the saying goes, “complacency is the enemy of progress.” Murray is taking that to heart knowing just how unforgivable and unpredictable the NFL can be.

“I think it’s an underrated thing, the camaraderie off the field, just loving each other, being together, spending time together, getting to know each other,” Murray said. “The teams that I was a part of that were the best, we were tight off the field. It allows you to go harder for each other.”

“Getting all those reps that we got, we might not have gotten if we didn’t do all those things off the field,” the QB added. “The sense of urgency is there. We want to hit the ground running. Despite what everybody thinks or what they’re saying, we know what we want to do in this locker room. In order to do that, you got to put the work in.”

Kyler Murray x Michael Wilson pic.twitter.com/r69EzTCHaB

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) July 29, 2024

Murray has gone above and beyond since the new regime showed up to the Tempe training facility in 2023.

Despite fighting through a torn ACL and the road back, he’s quieted a lot of doubters with his continued evolution and team-first mentality fully on display.

But for as much as Murray deserves a boatload of credit for hanging in, those building the culture and roster around him have more than earned their flowers.

“They’re doing everything I feel like the right way and for the betterment of the team,” Murray said. “It kind of allows me to be myself. JG understands how I am and who I am as a competitor. He wants to see me succeed, he wants to see the team succeed.

“Our communication, we’re locked in. I love everything that they’re doing, our relationship is going to continue to grow and I’m excited about it.”

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