In many ways, Kyler Murray has been the most frustrating player on the Arizona Cardinals over the last decade. Murray has all of the talent you could ask for from a quarterback, but he has failed to translate that talent into consistent production.
The clock is ticking for Kyler Murray to prove that he's the man to lead the Cardinals back to playoff success. If he doesn't show improvements this season, the team may start to look at other options in the future.
According to one NFL insider, those improvements are coming.
Arizona Cardinals expect big things from Kyler Murray in 2025
The Cardinals "expect Kyler Murray to make a jump." That's what ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said when speaking about Arizona on SportsCenter.
These expectations aren't unfounded, either. According to Fowler, the Cardinals have been working with Murray to combine elements of his game that have brought him success in the past with the improvements that he's made in recent seasons.
Since offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's arrival in 2023, Kyler Murray has grown in his ability to operate within the structure of the Cardinals' offense. He's no longer reliant on his ability to extend plays with his feet and make defenders miss.
But, especially in 2024, Murray seemed to lose that creative ability almost completely. He consistently took check-down passes rather than using his athleticism to extend plays. According to PFF, Kyler Murray's average depth of target was just 7.4 yards in 2024. That's the second-lowest mark of his career.
It seemed like Murray's first thought after moving on from his initial read was to dump the ball off to either Trey McBride or James Conner. Those were effective plays for the most part, but they took away the opportunity for Murray to find explosive plays outside of the pocket.
According to Jeremy Fowler, the Cardinals are hoping to see Kyler Murray use his creativity and athleticism more this season. Fowler said, "Arizona looked back at what Murray was doing a few years ago where he and DeAndre Hopkins would always connect on those off-scripted plays."
Murray's connection with DeAndre Hopkins was electric. If he can get in sync with Marvin Harrison Jr. in that same way on extended plays, the pair could bring major improvements to the Cardinals' offense this season. Arizona will need Murray to take that step to push the team back into playoff contention.