Arizona Cardinals ‘nothing but impressed’ with QB Kyler Murray entering Year 6
Feb 24, 2024, 4:16 PM
It was a year filled with adversity for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray that included a lengthy rehab from a torn ACL on top of having to re-learn the offense under new leadership for the first time in his career.
But despite seeing a career low in games played (eight) in 2023, the organization couldn’t be higher on the signal caller entering his sixth season.
“Each year I’ve seen a step change in terms of his growth,” owner Michael Bidwill told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Friday. “This year it was a little bit different because he was coming back from that injury. But as soon as he stepped on that field, the team rallied around him and you saw what he did.
“You look at our production on offense, we went from a good running-game team to I think we were top five in the league after he stepped onto the field for those last eight games. Scoring went up, the ability to control the ball. He just brought a confidence level and a leadership to the offense and to the entire team that I think it was palpable.”
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After spinning their tires offensively for nine games, the Cardinals got a mighty boost with Murray back in the saddle, improving on most every offensive category across the final eight matchups of the year. That includes seeing their points per game jump from 16.7 to nearly 20 in the final eight matchups.
As for Murray, he ended up completing 65.7% of his throws for 1,799 yards and 10 touchdowns to five interceptions. He also ran the rock 44 times for 244 yards and three scores.
But it was his last four games of the year that really got Cardinals fans talking behind 935 yards and seven touchdowns to three interceptions on a 70.3% completion rate.
The work hasn’t stopped for Murray, either, with the quarterback among the faces already back to work at Arizona’s training facility.
And if general manager Monti Ossenfort’s inkling for Murray is accurate, big things are in store for the offense this season.
“I’ve been nothing but impressed with what he’s done in our building and it continues right now,” Ossenfort told Arizona Sports on Thursday. “Kyler’s in the building right now every day working and continuing to rehab. That was a tough injury that he came back from. That’s hard and especially with someone like Kyler who relies on his legs, that takes a while to get there mentally.
“So usually with those types of injuries, players come back a year later, but really that big jump is that second year. … We’re looking forward to what Kyler can even grow upon what he did last year but extremely happy we have Kyler now and moving forward.”
