With a 4-8 record, the Arizona Cardinals are all but certain to miss out on this year’s NFL playoffs.
However, there is hope for the immediate future, as they do possess some talent, and that talent starts with quarterback Kyler Murray.
So far this season, he has put up 2,359 passing yards and 14 passing touchdowns, but he has a passer rating of just 87.1.
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson, who played with Murray in Arizona a couple of years ago, was asked about the issues head coach Kliff Kingsbury has had with the Cardinals when he intimated Murray is selfish.
#Vikings star CB Patrick Peterson on former #Cardinals teammate Kyler Murray: "Murray don't care about nobody but Kyler Murray." (@ATCoveredPod) pic.twitter.com/wxqrcZaXpZ
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 30, 2022
Peterson was referring to last week’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, after which Murray publicly criticized Kingsbury’s play-calling.
But perhaps Peterson was also referring to Murray threatening to hold out during the offseason unless the Cardinals gave him the contract extension he was demanding.
They eventually agreed to a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension.
Murray Is A Dangerous Player
The fourth-year signal-caller may not be elite, but he has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons, and he is a potent player.
The main drawback to Murray’s game is his short stature by NFL standards (he’s just 5-foot-10 and weighs about 207 pounds), but in a way, it may give him an advantage.
When he evades members of the opposing team’s front seven or escapes from the pocket, he is quick and elusive in the open field, and tackling him is a lot like trying to chase and capture a squirrel in one’s backyard.
So far this year he has 415 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and just two years ago he exploded for 819 yards and 11 scores on the run.
But his tension with his head coach is concerning, and there are whispers that Kingsbury’s job could be in jeopardy, as there are reports that some of his other players don’t respect him.
The NFL is a player’s league, so it will be interesting to see if Arizona axes Kingsbury to keep its QB happy, especially given how much money he’s getting paid now.
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