Is the national narrative about Cardinals QB Kyler Murray as off base as it seems?

When Arizona sports fans realize they have something good, they don’t want to let anyone take that away. They are quick to assume they can’t have nice things, that success is fleeting and that everyone is against them.

There is a history that builds those feelings here.

When former NFL receiver Brice Butler spoke this summer on Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray’s substandard leadership, it probably felt like a “here we go again” moment for Cardinals fans.

It’s easy to grab onto and dramatize bad opinions. But is a retired receiver on a Las Vegas Raiders podcast representative of the wider national feelings about Arizona’s franchise quarterback?

Speaking of which: How does it feel to have people crap on a franchise quarterback when, especially in the Valley, having one at all should be celebrated as a win? I’m talking to you all who consumed too much of Josh Rosen, Ryan Lindley, Matt Leinart, Kevin Kolb, Derek Anderson, John Skelton and Jeff Blake.

Butler was parroting an old, lazy take. To be fair, that old, lazy perspective was built as Murray went from MVP candidate to reportedly refusing to re-enter a playoff game in a matter of months. He wiped his social media account clean of Cardinals references during his contract negotiations and his agent used weird fonts in public letters that were hard to read.

Remember, it was the Cardinals who put in the handholding “homework clause” in Murray’s contract that he eventually signed. The team scrubbed the clause after it became public.

Reminder: Murray’s worst leadership issues — sideline pouting during bad times — in his first several seasons seem insignificant next to the flaws of his former general manager and former head coach. Murray outlasted both, and in the sports world, the last man standing is usually the one to blame the least.

Now Murray is older and more comfortable. He’s been pretty candid about that this offseason.

It’s helped that the Cardinals’ new leadership got him to buy in. Now the Valley gets to judge Murray based on football.

Are there flaws with Murray? Like all players, yes.

So back to the talk of narrative. Do smart football people, the ones who watch multiple Cardinals games, really buy into what regular Cardinals observers know are dated opinions about Murray?

A look around NFL preview content ahead of the 2024 season would say the views of Murray are actually pretty optimistic moving forward.

The below takes are only a sampling. But it should be pointed out that when this many people make the same “bold” take that Murray is in for a big season, maybe it’s not just bold but the correct expectation.

And the correct narrative is that Kyler Murray could help make the Cardinals relevant again.

NFL analysts who predict a big 2024 from Cardinals QB Kyler Murray

— The Athletic’s Mike Jones made one of his bold predictions that Murray gets his groove back: “Murray worked his way back to play in the final eight games of last season and showed promise in new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s system. Now another year removed from his ACL surgery, a second season in Petzing’s offense and with rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. by his side, look for Murray to reclaim his status as one of the NFL’s most electrifying playmakers.”

— For Pro Football Focus, Trevor Sikkema’s similar piece of predicting put a number to his high opinion of Murray, that the quarterback would throw for more than 4,000 passing yards: “In Kyler Murray‘s most recent full seasons, he finished just shy of 4,000 yards passing. Those happened to be the first two years of his career. With a rejuvenated receiving corps this season, he can get over the 4,000-yard mark for the first time as a pro.”

— ESPN’s Seth Walder analyzed the Cardinals and landed with another Murray-centric bold prediction: “Murray will finish in the top 10 in QBR. We witnessed Murray’s upside when he was his most accurate self in 2021 — ranking third in completion percentage over expectation at plus-3%, per NFL Next Gen Stats — on top of his usual mobility. Now, almost two years removed from his torn ACL, there’s a chance we see that version of Murray again.”

— At The Ringer, Steven Ruiz put together a quarterback ranking, where Murray is 13th. Ruiz made his list by ranking players based on creativity, timing, accuracy, arm talent, pocket presence and decision-making: “Murray is one of the more underappreciated talents in the league today. He is a genuine force multiplier in the run game and helps lead Arizona to a top-10 rushing offense every year. He’s got a big arm and just enough pocket presence and field vision to use it to make big-time throws from the pocket. He’s even more dangerous outside of the pocket, where his height isn’t an issue and his speed makes him the most dangerous player on the field.”

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