What’s at stake for Kyler Murray, Cardinals over final eight games

TEMPE, Ariz. – And so begins the return of Kyler Murray.

With the Arizona Cardinals quarterback expected to return Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS), barring any setbacks related to a torn right ACL he suffered last December, the 26-year-old’s future within the organization will become a weekly event. topic based on how Murray plays every game.

Regardless of how much discussion there is, Murray’s status with the Cardinals might not be influenced much by how the rest of 2023 plays out.

Some among the Cardinals believe Murray controls his destiny in Arizona.

If he can lead Arizona to a handful of wins, which would move the Cardinals away from the No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL Draft, where they currently sit according to ESPN Analytics, talk of the possibility of trading Murray to make way because USC quarterback Caleb Williams, drafted by Arizona, will be gone. The comparisons between Murray and Williams have continued since Williams arrived at Oklahoma before transferring to USC. When he won the Heisman last season and became the favorite to be the top pick in the 2024 draft, those comparisons intensified. Williams (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) is a taller, thicker version of Murray (5-10, 207). Their games are similar. Both are excellent outside the pocket at making off-schedule plays and both have big, accurate arms inside the pocket.

The risk of going from an established NFL starter to a rookie is unknown. Murray has proven he can play and win at the NFL level, leading Arizona to an 11-6 record and a playoff berth in 2021. Williams has yet to prove what he can do .

But last year, before the Week 14 injury ended his season, Murray was on pace to have the worst statistical season of his career after winning Rookie of the Year in 2019 and following with back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances in 2020 and 2021. Arizona was 3-7 when it lost in Game 3 to the New England Patriots and finished 4-13, which led to the firing of former coach Kliff Kingsbury, who, coincidentally, now works with Williams as a senior running back. analyst at USC.

In August, general manager Monti Ossenfort said his staff would monitor every position, no matter who is on the roster or where the team picks.

“I think everyone in this organization has to prove something every day,” Ossenfort said during training camp. “We’re all here competing. We’re at the highest level. If we’re not all doing it every day, we’re going to be left behind. So whether it concerns Kyler or, more specifically, myself or [coach Jonathan Gannon] or any other player on the team. It’s an everyday affair.”

When Gannon took the Cardinals job in February, Murray was a big reason why. Few, if any, vacancies come with a starting quarterback at Murray’s level.

Leaving Murray won’t be an easy decision for a variety of reasons.

You will first have to consider the weight of his contract.

Of the $37 million he is expected to make in 2024, $35.3 million is already guaranteed. However, his $18 million 2025 salary becomes fully guaranteed as early as the fifth day of the 2024 league year. So, Arizona will have to know one way or another by March 18, 2024 what are his long-term plans for Murray.

The next eight games could go a few different ways, but most of them are unlikely to change Murray’s place on the Cardinals going forward.

Here’s a look at three potential scenarios and how they would affect Murray’s future with the Cardinals.

Scenario 1: Murray is playing well, the Cardinals are starting to win. If that happens, then all is well in Cardinals Land with their future at the most important position in the game. Arizona will move forward with Murray at quarterback and build on the success the team will have in 2023. Depending on how many wins Murray can lead the Cardinals to, it will also impact Arizona’s draft position and could eliminate the possibility of Arizona drafting a quarterback, both because they don’t They wouldn’t need it and because they wouldn’t be in position for a top prospect.

Scenario 2: Murray plays well but the Cardinals keep losing. It’s hard to believe Arizona would move on from Murray if that happened. His future in Arizona is not tied to wins or losses. Publicly, Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing have said they want to see Murray progress for the rest of the season as well as a better command of the offense. If this is there at the end of Week 18, then Murray should continue to be the Cardinals’ quarterback. It is understood internally that the list, in its current form, needs to be improved from head to toe. And with Murray returning to play behind an offensive line that is beat up and with an offense that is missing some of its key players, the Cardinals may not look like what many would expect them to look like with Murray on the ground – but it’s not his fault.

Scenario 3: Murray plays poorly, the Cardinals continue to lose. Even if Murray plays poorly or isn’t close to his pre-injury form, the Cardinals could stick with him. Whether Arizona publicly acknowledges it or not, Murray will get a grace period this season. The question will be how long this will last. Gannon has already warned that Murray might not look like him when he returns and that is, to some extent, to be expected. He will have gone exactly 11 months without a snap game when he plays Sunday against the Falcons.