Cardinals respond to reports of Kyler Murray’s discontent
Feb 13, 2022, 2:06 PM | Updated: Feb 15, 2022, 7:09 am
It’s been an interesting week for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray after he made headlines for scrubbing his Instagram account.
Indeed, there is more to the story, according to multiple reports.
On Super Bowl Sunday, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported there has been an “odd vibe” with the Cardinals and a “frustrated” Murray following the team’s stumbling end to the season that closed with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Wild Card Weekend.
Mortensen added that Murray feels as if he’s been the scapegoat following the Cardinals’ playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, who were set to play in the Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Veterans on the team are hoping to reach out to Murray on how to handle adversity, according to Mortensen.
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Sources also told the reporter that Murray is described as self-centered, immature and a finger-pointer.
Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury is reportedly “self-scouting where he can provide better alternatives for (the) quarterback,” according to Mortensen.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network followed up by reporting that Murray and the Cardinals have yet to have a “big picture” meeting since the season’s end. One of the big storylines surrounding the Cardinals this offseason is a potential extension for the signal caller.
The @NFLGameDay Notebook with @MikeGarafolo and @TomPelissero: A look into #Bengals QB Joe Burrow's comeback; How the #AZCardinals want stronger leadership from Kyler Murray — with an example why; Who is in the QB market this offseason? pic.twitter.com/0rZSzhbuAG
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 13, 2022
Garafolo reports that the Cardinals are looking for Murray to take steps in his leadership and maturity, including sideline body-language.
He gave one example: Murray didn’t want to finish the Wild Card game against the Rams while the game was in its winding moments, despite backup quarterback Colt McCoy urging him to re-enter. McCoy finished the game by handing the ball off twice to Eno Benjamin to end the loss.
The Cardinals issued a statement to Arizona Sports’ Tyler Drake on Sunday following the reports:
“Nothing has changed regarding our opinion and high regard for Kyler Murray,” the statement read. “We as a team and Kyler individually have improved each year he’s been in the league. We are excited to continue that improvement in 2022 and are excited that Kyler Murray is the quarterback leading us.”
In his third NFL season, Murray, the first overall pick in 2019, threw for 3,787 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as Arizona went 11-6.
He added 423 yards on the ground with five additional touchdowns.
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