Kyler Murray has entered his now-or-never season with Cardinals

Kurt Warner was an American Underdog and a late bloomer. He won a Super Bowl at age 28, in just his second full season as NFL quarterback.  

Kyler Murray is 27. His time is now. Or maybe never. 

The Cardinals quarterback is the key to our football dreams in 2024. He has five years of NFL experience, from the penthouse to the porta potties. He has successfully recovered from a major injury with remarkable tenacity. He is surrounded by lethal weapons and a coaching staff he both trusts and respects. He has grown up before our eyes, gaining much-needed perspective, maturity, and self-awareness. 

Yet true legends don’t take long to declare their greatness, and this is why Murray is at the crossroads. He has already flirted with real MVP candidacy, already led a NFL team to the playoffs. But there is a new generation of quarterbacks who have passed him by on the NFL depth chart (C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love, Brock Purdy, Justin Herbert). There are quarterbacks looking to reaffirm their greatness (Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers). There are young guns looking to dazzle as rookies on the big stage (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix).  

This is the season when Murray’s wheels must go up for good, when his career must reach peak altitude. A season when his base salary rises to $37,000,000 and his salary cap number takes up 18.2 percent of the pie. By contrast, the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes accounts or 14.7 of Kansas City’s payroll. 

The money shouldn’t matter. But his performance in 2024 will profoundly impact the way the Cardinals view their starting quarterback because he’s no longer affordable. 

Murray has many lingering critics in Arizona and beyond. The road hasn’t been easy. He was asked to lead a professional team at a time when his diminutive stature had become a national obsession. He was asked to front a team that already had its alpha leader in Larry Fitzgerald, the most popular athlete in Arizona history.  

Fresh off a Heisman Trophy and a career full of hero ball, Murray had no chance.  

He does now.  

Financially speaking, the Cardinals are clearly hedging their bets. They have a ton of unspent salary cap space that shouldn’t exist if a team really cares about winning and also employs a real franchise quarterback. Which means they are practically daring Murray to make them look stupid. 

Or maybe the Cardinals are smart. Because great quarterbacks transform mediocre rosters. They carry their teams to the postseason. And it’s time for Murray to make his intentions known. 

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