PFF places Cardinals' Kyler Murray in appropriate QB tier for 2024
By Brandon Ray
One of the worst things that could happen in the NFL came true for fans of the Arizona Cardinals. Late in the 2022 season, quarterback Kyler Murray tore his ACL which set up a potentially disastrous 2023 season. While the Cardinals finished 4-13 last season, they went 3-5 with Murray once he came back into the lineup and he defeated two playoff teams in that stretch with almost nothing to work with. This offseason, Monti Ossenfort upgraded both sides of the ball which included the acquisitions of Marvin Harrison Jr., Zay Jones and a new offensive line.
Arizona may be a little ways from being a serious contending team, but this upcoming season should be a true step forward in the right direction. With having a fully healthy Murray under center, the Cardinals have no excuses when it comes to producing on the field. It is hard to place Murray in a quarterback tier heading into 2024 because he has not had a full season of playing time since 2021. However, he showed that he can still play like the best player on the field last season.
Trevor Sikkema from Pro Football Focus created a QB tier list for all 32 starting quarterbacks as of now. The list consisted of seven tiers, headlined by Patrick Mahomes who was placed in a tier of his own like he should be. When it came to placing Murray on the list, Sikkema put Murray in Tier 4 labeled as “The Melting Pot of Starters” with Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy, Tua Tagovailoa, Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff, Geno Smith and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
Putting Murray in this specific tier is appropriate because the top three tiers were labeled as “Mahomes”, “The Elite”, and “Postseason-Caliber QBs”. While Murray has had success and has shown to be the franchise in Arizona, he has yet to win a playoff game, or even look like a competent quarterback in the postseason. He has played in one playoff game and it was a forgettable performance.
Cardinals fans will be hoping that Murray can live up to this tier or even go higher. He has upgraded weapons and stability in the coaching staff, so he will need to live up to expectations and succeed next season.