TEMPE — Remember that player you modeled your game after when you were a kid?

Whether it was copying a quarterback’s style of play, a hooper’s jump shot or a golfer’s swing, at one point or another, you emulated someone else’s game and made it part of your own.

Now, imagine taking on said player in one of the biggest matchups of the season on national television.

When Aaron Rodgers and the 6-1 Green Bay Packers come to town on Thursday night, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will do just that.

Last year’s MVP versus this season’s top MVP candidate.

“Yeah, he’s up there,” Murray said Tuesday when asked if he modeled any part of his game after Rodgers. “He’s probably my favorite quarterback, probably one of my favorite quarterbacks to watch. Just his swag, the way he plays the game, what he’s done in his career.

“I admire his game a lot. First time playing against, first time probably be able to meet him. It’s pretty cool so I’m looking forward to it.”

It’s not just Rodgers’ game that Murray appreciates, either. When the Green Bay QB returned for training camp this offseason, he voiced his displeasure regarding his input on roster decisions. Murray “loved” how honest the signal caller was.

The respect isn’t a one-way street by any means.

Rodgers doesn’t need to look at the current NFL standings to get a good idea of just what Murray brings to the table.

“He’s a talented guy and there’s a lot of guys that are doing what he’s doing and they can attack you in so many ways when you got a guy like that,” Rodgers told the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday. “He’s talented, arm talent is fantastic.

“He can run around all over the place. One of, if not the, fastest guys on the field most of the time. And the weapons that they got … we’re gonna have to keep up with them scoring-wise. They’ve been very consistent offensively and we’re gonna have to find a way to score some points.”

EXTRA POINT

Murray on if he was planning on discussing Rodgers’ training camp press conference about his unhappiness with Green Bay:

“He already handled it. I don’t know what year this is for him but he’s had a lot more experience than me in that department. I just think what he said was perfect. Being the quarterback of a team, you’d rather be heard. … I’ll leave it to him, he said it best.”

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