When Kyler Murray returned in Week 10, we didn’t know what he would look like. Were we getting the 2021 version of Murray, one who played at a borderline MVP-like pace for the first half of the year? Or, would we get the 2022 version that regressed and seemed to complain about every bit of criticism directed his way?
Fortunately, the Arizona Cardinals got at least a solid but unspectacular version of Murray through his first six starts, in which he compiled a 2-4 record and had his highs and lows. This past Sunday, we saw the version of Kyler Murray who looked like a former number-one pick, and he enjoyed his best two quarters in a long, long time.
The performance impressed Cardinals brass, including head coach Jonathan Gannon, who appears to have little doubt that he has a franchise quarterback moving forward. In case you haven’t seen or heard yet, check out a snippet of what Gannon said.
"“I love that guy. It’s not about one guy, but you know I’m a Kyler guy. Being here for a year with him now, I’m more convicted than when I got here, just going through the process and our connection and developed a relationship with him and it being a little odd. You got your franchise quarterback and you know he can’t play. Just seeing the work he put in and the things that we talked about this offseason about what he wanted to improve on, what I wanted to see him improve on … I wanted to make sure that stayed strong.”"Jonathan Gannon
Source: Jonathan Gannon ‘more convicted’ that Kyler Murray is Cardinals’ franchise QB by Tyler Drake, Arizona Sports
This couldn’t be better news for Cardinals fans, as there is always uncertainty when starting over with a new quarterback. And this past season serves as a prime example, looking at how the top two quarterbacks taken in this year’s draft have played.
Arizona Cardinals head coach appears to have faith in Kyler Murray
Had Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon believed they needed to move in a different direction, they would be sailing into uncharted waters with either Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels. Will any of these three play well and become another C.J. Stroud, or would they falter and turn into another Bryce Young?
Then there would be the uncertainty regarding Murray, as in such a case, the Cardinals would have either traded or released the would-be franchise quarterback. The ‘what-if’ factor would creep into place, especially if Murray played well in his next stop.
Fortunately, that won’t happen, as the Cardinals appear to be set on keeping Murray as their number one guy. This will let Ossenfort perhaps improve the offensive line in the 2024 NFL Draft, which will positively help Murray and the dynamic running game. We also know the Cards need a receiver, and that position may also be on the radar in either Rounds 1 or 2, so it’s a much easier process than taking a gamble on another potential franchise quarterback.
When you look around the league, you will also see only a few teams with the luxury of having a franchise guy for the foreseeable future. Now that we know the Cardinals are one of those teams, that automatically puts them a cut above others like the Carolina Panthers, the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and many more who are searching for or currently lack a sound signal-caller.
Based on what Gannon said, Cardinals fans can rest assured that the quarterback issue is solved, and there is complete faith in Kyler Murray heading into 2024. Murray will have one more game to show any straggling doubters that he can handle the job this Sunday when the Arizona Cardinals end their 2023 season vs. the Seattle Seahawks.