Kyler Murray Will Never Be Great Until He Improves Decision Making

The next step in Kyler Murray’s evolution must occur between his ears.

Admit it- as a fan of the Arizona Cardinals, you’ve let your frustration show.

It’s 3rd and 4. Kyler Murray drops back. Hump does a good job initially of keeping his guy held up. The right side of the line immediately opens up a seam, and there’s daylight with no defender within 10 yards.

Yet Murray stays firmly planted in the pocket, patting the ball and watching…. waiting…. tick, tick, tick.

Eventually the rush gets there; Murray tries his patented “spin back and to the left move,” but the defense has been watching tape and is ready for it. Sack. Andy Lee time. And you let it loose.

“Just take the easy [expletive] 6 yards, get out of bounds and move the chains!!!! Use your legs!!! It was wide [expletive] open!!!”

And you’re not wrong. But it’s all part of the process.

Kyler Murray’s decision-making is costing the Arizona Cardinals

The talent of Kyler Murray is undeniable. He jumps off the screen, at times looking like a cheat code. He checks almost all the boxes. Arm strength? Yup. Accuracy? You bet. Mobility and speed? Duh. Decision making? Mehhhhhh.

And that’s where Murray must improve if he wants to reach his ceiling. Those other boxes don’t mean much if that last one is unchecked. Manning. Brady. Brees. None threw the prettiest ball or had elite arm strength. They were all statues.

Yet they will go down as three of the greatest QB of all time because of their ability to quickly make the correct decision. It’s something Kurt Warner also had. And it’s something Murray has to learn if he wants to be great.

Whether it’s knowing when to tuck and run, diagnosing hot reads and making the right throw, or learning how to slide up in the pocket instead of always fading back and relying on quickness to evade the rush, the learning curve for Kyler Murray will accelerate only at a speed equal to his ability to process information and act accordingly.

For Murray, it’s no longer physical. It’s all mental. And that can be both exciting and worrisome for Arizona Cardinals fans. Just like those 3rd and four plays.