ESPN’s Mike Clay predicts Cardinals QB Kyler Murray will win 2020 MVP

In 2018, second-year Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes stormed the league and was named NFL Offensive Most Valuable Player.

In 2019, second-year Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson electrified the nation and was named MVP.

In 2020 … second-year Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray?

That’s what ESPN’s Mike Clay thinks.

In a roundtable with several ESPN reporters, Clay predicted Murray would win the 2020 MVP award.

“Murray will follow the lead of Mahomes in 2018 and Lamar Jackson in 2019 by taking over the league in his second professional season. The 2019 first overall pick accounted for 24 touchdowns and ranked ninth among quarterbacks in total offensive yards as a rookie.”

Named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year over the weekend, Murray helped resurrect the Cardinals offense that had been historically bad the year prior.

Arizona bounced from the fewest points and yards in the league in 2018 to a normal below-average season on offense, ranking No. 21 in yards and No. 17 in points.

Murray joined Cam Newton as the only rookies in NFL history to pass for 3,500 yards and rush for 500.

Clay also thinks the team around Murray will be better. Arizona has the No. 8 pick in the draft and entered the offseason with more than $70 million to spend, though wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s new contract will cut into that, as will re-signing players entering free agency.

The Cardinals almost certainly would need to win the division for Murray to be MVP, and to do so, they’ll need to improve their defense, figure out the running back room and add another strong receiver.

The other analysts on the ESPN roundtable selected Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Carson Wentz or Matthew Stafford to win MVP.

There are other national media members optimistic about Murray’s future.

Field Yates and Damien Woody spoke about the Cardinals quarterback on NFL Live in late January.

“We saw so many signs of promise,” Yates said. “If you watched the Cardinals closely down the stretch … Murray showed so much as a passer.”

Murray’s growth and decision-making was evident. He completed 64.4% of his passes and over a seven-game stretch in October and November threw only one interception. He lived up to the hype around his mobility coming out of college.

“If you can unlock a quarterback as a runner, what’s the defense for him?” Yates said. “Don’t be surprised if Kyler Murray is an NFC Pro Bowl quarterback next year.”

Not quite the expectations of Clay, but a Pro Bowl appearance would be natural progression after Murray was selected as an alternate this year.

Woody’s opinion was more long-term than the other two ESPN reporters.

“I think Kyler Murray is destined for superstardom,” he said.

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