It is no secret that when Kyler Murray returned to the Arizona Cardinals in the middle of last season, there was a spark. The Cardinals started 1-8 before Murray's return, with no fire power on the offense. In Murray's Week 10 return against the Atlanta Falcons, the offense for Arizona looked better down the stretch. Even though the season was a lost cause, Murray went 3-5 as the starter winning against the Falcons, Steelers and Eagles.
However, the team's most impressive win took place in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys, where it was Josh Dobbs leading the way at quarterback to a 28-16 victory against what was the top defense in the league at that time.
In Murray's 8 games, he completed over 65% of his throws for 1,799 yards, and 10 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. In addition, Murray added on 244 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Overall, Murray averaged 225 passing yards and had a 2:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. This is actually quite impressive coming off of an ACL injury the season prior.
With that being said, Murray showed that he can be the franchise in Arizona, but the 2024 season will really prove it or not. A full healthy offseason is exactly what the Cardinals' quarterback will need to show that he can elevate the Cardinals and bring them back to the playoffs. Up until the 2022 season, Murray improved each year in his first three seasons. Although, he has not been able to bring the Cardinals far into the playoffs, which could eventually lead to a tough decision for Monti Ossenfort and the front office.
This is not to say that Murray needs to carry the Cardinals deep into the playoffs in 2024, but there has to be some sort of next step forward within the franchise. If Arizona manages to surround Murray with valuable weapons and a decent offensive line, there is no reason why the offense should have many challenges.
We are in an era where it is rare to get chance after chance after chance. Luckily, unless Murray has an ultimate collapse in production, he should be the guy under center moving forward that could earn him another contract with the Cardinals in a few seasons. However, if there is no flash next season, do not be surprised about potential conversations regarding Murray's future with the Cardinals.