While he may not be the most flashy quarterback in the league, Kyler Murray has done everything in his power to get the Arizona Cardinals back to relevance. They nearly took down the San Francisco 49ers last week, but a field goal dropped the Cardinals at 2-1.
Murray, who’s been known as a dual-threat QB throughout his career, is still navigating the struggles that come with playing in the NFL. This week, his father came to his and the team’s defense.
Kyler Murray’s Dad Stands Up For His Son
Following Drew Brees’s call of the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense “boring,” many have criticized Murray for being in a similar situation. The former 2019 No. 1 overall pick has been with Arizona for seven seasons but is awaiting that signature win or moment.
It only took three games this season before fans attacked the 28-year-old once again, something his dad, Kevin, wasn’t going to let happen.
“It’s easier said than done because every quarterback wants to take the shot,” Kevin Murray said. “You don’t want to play defensive at the position… But you just have to consistently make the right decisions. That’s why Kobe was Kobe. That’s why Mike was Mike.”
“You realize how hard it is to control your thoughts, to program your brain, to do what we’re talking about doing for 17 weeks? Nobody’s perfect. Our natural instinct is to want to push it down the field. Our natural instinct is to want to stick it in somebody’s ear hole 25, 30 yards up the field. That’s our natural instinct as a quarterback is to want to throw it over the top.”
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According to ESPN Research, Murray is tied with the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen for the sixth most checkdowns (four) through three games. He has 542 passing yards this season, but is averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt. Without the long ball, Murray is on pace to finish with the lowest average of his career.
His lone interception came against the Carolina Panthers, but the Cardinals still took care of business, 27-22. Last week, they put up just 15 points against the 49ers. It’s no secret how good San Francisco’s defense is, but this team hasn’t scored more than 27 points in a game this season.
Their defense is holding their ground, but it’s only a matter of time before everything catches up to them, and Murray has to make the big play. That could potentially come Thursday night, when the Cardinals host the NFC West rival Seahawks in Glendale. The game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
