Although he’s a former number-one overall pick, it’s clear that Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is no Peyton Manning or Joe Burrow. Both of those quarterbacks were and are magical in lifting their respective teams to another level.
But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Murray’s mold. Troy Aikman was never taking anyone to three Super Bowls in the 1990s if he didn’t have Emmitt Smith or Michael Irvin. Nor was Terry Bradshaw going anywhere without an outstanding defense, running game, and remarkable receivers.
Murray is closer to Aikman and Bradshaw than he is to Manning and Burrow, so he will always need a strong supporting cast around him. And it’s clear the former Oklahoma Sooner isn’t shy about showing his appreciation toward them, evidenced by his postgame comments about teammate Trey McBride when he explained just how valuable the second-year tight end is.
"“His confidence is through the roof, he’s become a matchup nightmare for whoever’s on him. He’s super athletic. The sky’s the limit for Trey. I think for me and him to be able to keep playing with each other, the better he’ll get.”"Kyler Murray
Source: Cardinals fight through weather delays, Steelers for upset win in Week 13 by Tyler Drake, Arizona Sports
Kyler Murray may have found his new favorite target in the desert
It’s clear that Trey McBride has become Kyler Murray’s new go-to. Since Murray returned in Week 10, McBride has hauled in 28 catches on 34 targets for 323 yards, and a touchdown. Today, eight of Murray’s 13 completions went to McBride, and until opposing defenses figure out how to stop this emerging dynamic duo, expect more of the same in two weeks when the Arizona Cardinals host the red-hot San Francisco 49ers.
Sitting at 3-10, the Cardinals will drop down a spot in the 2024 NFL Draft had the season ended today thanks to the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots losing their respective games. But that still doesn’t take the Redbirds out of the running for Marvin Harrison Jr since the Chicago Bears (who will hold Carolina’s presumptive top pick) and the Patriots will likely roll with quarterbacks.
This means the Cards could have another pass-catcher coming to the desert to reinforce the Murray-McBride connection. If that’s the case, then Murray will be just fine as the Cardinals starting quarterback with a pair of potential playmakers lining up at receiver and tight end.
(Statistics provided by ESPN.com and Pro-Football-Reference)