Kenyan Drake focused on the now as talk of his Cardinals’ future elevates

The long-term relationship between the Arizona Cardinals and running back Kenyan Drake has yet to be decided.

That’s not stopping those around the NFL from putting two and two together, however.

A four-touchdown, 100-yard game will do that to you.

The running back was the catalyst throughout Sunday’s 38-24 win over the Cleveland Browns, recording 22 touches and a reception as the the Cardinals’ bellcow back. The next closest RB? David Johnson with just three carries for six yards, while Chase Edmonds did not record a touch. The stellar outing marked the first time a Cardinal scored four times since Ronald Moore did it back in 1993.

“I told a couple of my coaches or anybody really that could listen that the room itself … we’re going to get two touchdowns at least,” Drake said. “They interviewed me after the game and said, ‘Yeah you said you were going to get two of them, how about four?’ And I was like, ‘Double trouble.’ I said at least two so my prediction still came true. I’m glad it came true in full force.”

The win signified Drake’s first W in 15 weeks, with his last taste of victory coming in the “Miami Miracle.”

Talk about a personal drought.

It’s evident the team is leaning toward Drake to finish out the season, garnering the bulk of the carries since his arrival to the Valley in Week 9 after spending the first part of his career as a Miami Dolphin. But while all signs point to the Cardinals offering some kind of deal after the season, Drake isn’t one to sit and think “what if?”

“Right now, I’m just taking it a game at a time. We did what we had to do yesterday we’re now looking forward to our next opponent,” Drake told Burns & Gambo on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station on Monday. “That’s just the type of person I am. I’m not trying to look to far ahead in advance. I’m just trying to take everything in stride, be where my feet are and take advantage of the opportunities that are afforded to me.”

In just six games with Arizona, Drake leads all Cardinal running backs with 417 yards and five touchdowns, only trailing Johnson in attempts (87 to 92).

For Drake, it’s more than just getting a chance with the orgnaization, something that wasn’t there in Miami this season.

“I appreciate everybody that’s given me this opportunity from Pop Warner up to this point, and being in Arizona is a blessing to come here and play amongst a lot of great individuals up in the organization that believe in me,” Drake said. “Everybody welcomed me with open arms when I first got here and I was able to just go out there and just play ball.

“It just reminded me of being back home in Atlanta, Georgia and just realizing the game will never be anything more than what you make it. You got to put the work in, you have to just be who you are. I appreciate them for allowing me to just be who I am and play the game that I love.”

No one knows what the offseason will hold for both Drake and the Cardinals as they try to find the right mix of personnel to get back to winning ways.

But with the way things are progressing, the RB has at the very least been a subject brought up in the team’s future plans. You just won’t see him fretting over it.

“Everything will happen when it happens, not a second before or after,” Drake said. “Of course, the logistics and everything have to line up for everything to work out and needs to but like I said, I’m focused on doing my job right now.

“I’m playing right, I got 22 touches [against the Browns],” Drake added when asked if the Cardinals have been in talks with the RB. “That’s all I need to know.”

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