Arizona Cardinals: Will the Kliff, Kyler, Keim trio work?
By Sion Fawkes
Kyler Murray must perform like the 200-million dollar man the Arizona Cardinals paid him to be
While Murray can put up some dazzling performances, the Arizona Cardinals need to get more out of their former number one overall pick.
Yes, he has two Pro Bowls, All-Rookie honors from 2019, and he even won Offensive Rookie of the Year. But career accolades mean nothing if you are not winning the division or taking your team deep into the playoffs.
For two straight seasons, Murray contributed to two epic collapses. And while head coach Kliff Kingsbury has been an expert in choking during the second half of the season, Murray is supposed to be the type of quarterback to prevent this from occurring.
And in 2022, he faces the real test when he will be forced to lead the team without star receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
For me, it doesn’t matter that Murray signed an extension, and I don’t care how much it is worth. The time has come for him to prove he can lead the Arizona Cardinals on the field and overcome the adversity that saw him put up a dreadful performance in a beatdown last season at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams.
The 2022 season will be Murray’s proving ground. It will be his test to show the NFL universe that he can do more than make mind-boggling plays and throw touchdown passes off his back foot. If he can elevate the talent around him without Hopkins’ presence, then Murray will have grown as a player.
If he can maintain his productivity through all 17 games and win in November and December, he will have grown. And by extension, he will be helping out Steve Keim and Kliff Kingsbury.
This section is not a knock on Murray. Instead, it is saying that, with a huge contract, he needs to play like one of the highest-paid players in the NFL.