Kyler Murray outside of top 10 quarterbacks in ESPN ranking
Jul 15, 2024, 8:45 AM | Updated: 12:29 pm
(Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports)
An ESPN poll of NFL executives, scouts and coaches had the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray outside of the top 10 quarterbacks.
As Murray enters Year 6, he was not listed as one of the six “honorable mention” picks either but was listed in the “also receiving votes” section along with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
After Murray tore his ACL in November of 2022, he returned in Week 10 for the final eight games of the 2023 season, where he posted a 3-5 record.
Across those eight games, Murray completed 65.7% of his throws and threw for 1,799 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.
He also ran for 244 yards and three touchdowns. After Murray returned, the Cardinals’ points per game total climbed from 16.7 to nearly 20 in the final eight matchups.
Across the final four games in 2023, he returned to form and produced 935 yards and seven touchdowns to three interceptions on a 70.3% completion rate.
The forthcoming season will be just the second for Murray alongside Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort and coach Jonathan Gannon.
In addition, Murray’s offense will look a lot different in 2024 following the departures of wide receivers Rondale Moore (trade) and Hollywood Brown (free agency). The Cardinals added wide receiver Zay Jones in free agency and also drafted Marvin Harrison Jr., tight end Tip Reiman and running back Trey Benson.
However, tight end Trey McBride will continue to be a mainstay in Arizona’s offense. McBride set a Cardinals’ franchise record for catches by a tight end in a season as he led all Cardinals in receiving with 81 receptions for 825 yards and three touchdowns. In the eight games he played with Murray, McBride had 53 receptions for 538 yards with two touchdowns.
ESPN’s complete list of the NFL’s top 10 quarterbacks ranked by execs, coaches and scouts:
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
5. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
6. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
7. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
8. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
9. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
10. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys