Arizona reducing Kyler Murray’s rushing attempts would be a bad idea

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray recently expressed that he doesn’t want to be the centerpiece of the team’s rushing attack.

Before the Arizona Cardinals selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Kyler Murray was regarded as the top quarterback prospect heading into the draft not only for his impressive arm talent, but for his explosive ability to make plays as a rusher as well.

In his first two seasons with the Cardinals, Murray has rushed for 1,363 yards and 15 touchdowns. It’s a big part of his game and it is a large reason why Arizona felt comfortable selecting him with the top pick in the 2019 draft.

Despite his success as a rusher, Murray recently made some comments that make it seem like he would like to get away from carrying the football as much as he has during the last two years.

Should the Arizona Cardinals reduce the rushing attempts of Kyler Murray?

In 2020, Murray carried the ball 133 times for 819 yards and 11 touchdowns. Combined with his passing numbers (3,971 yards, 24 touchdowns), Cardinals fans have to be thrilled that their favorite team is home to one of the most dynamic players in the NFL.

However, it doesn’t sound like Murray wants to continue being utilized as one of the primary ball-carriers in Arizona’s offense like he was last season.

Recently, the Cardinals quarterback talked about how he believes his running ability should be used by the team.

"“Honestly, the way I see it is, my legs should be a luxury. And it kind of wasn’t like that last year. It was me having to run for us in a sense. Once my shoulder was banged up and I wasn’t trying to put myself out there and take those hits, we hit a lull. Honestly, I think it was a lesson for us. We can’t be one-dimensional. We’ve got to be better in all aspects of the game.”"

So it sounds like Murray would like for there to be fewer running plays called for him and instead, he would like his legs to be used more in situations where he has to scramble on a pass play.

It’s understandable why the 23-year-old quarterback wants things to be a little different next season. How Murray was used in the offense last year resulted in him getting banged up and it had a big impact on Arizona missing the playoffs.

It’s just a difficult situation for the Cardinals, since Murray is one of the most talented rushers in the entire league, and this includes both quarterbacks and running backs.

Arizona can probably figure out a way to put Murray in fewer situations where his chance of injury might be higher. But to completely eliminate designed runs from the offensive playbook is not something the Cardinals should be considering anytime soon.