It's not surprising in the least that the Arizona Cardinals 2023 campaign is turning into a nightmare. Monti Ossenfort, the club's first-year general manager, totally botched the team's quarterback situation. Trying to win games in the NFL is almost impossible when an organization doesn't have a capable signal-caller leading the way.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon led Cards fans on last week by stating that injured star Kyler Murray was "fully healthy". The 40-year-old, in all of his arrogant splendor, also answered "we'll see" when asked if the two-time Pro Bowl passer would play this past weekend against the Baltimore Ravens. It now appears that Gannon knew darn well that Murray definitely wasn't playing, so there really was no reason to mislead the fanbase.
Ask Gannon why he wasn't honest about Murray's status and he'd likely offer up the "competitive advantage" nonsense that he seems to favor. In the days leading up to this fall's season-opener, the organization kept quiet about whether Josh Dobbs or Clayton Tune would start versus the Washington Commanders. Rest assured, the Washington defensive unit wasn't concerned in the least about going up against either passer.
Arizona Cardinals must make a change at signal-caller to keep the fanbase watching
If Arizona wants the team's loyal followers to keep tuning in, a change at the quarterback position is a must. After a promising beginning, the journeyman Dobbs has regressed and needs to be benched. Nevertheless, Gannon initially said that the 28-year-old will once again lead the offense in Week 9 during a road matchup with the Cleveland Browns.
Though Murray has many detractors, there's also a large contingent of Cards enthusiasts who would like to see what the 26-year-old can do in a new offensive system. Coordinator Drew Petzing has designed a much more conventional scoring attack that centers around the running game, a far cry from the "Air Raid" attack that former coach Kliff Kingsbury preferred. Heck, just seeing the 5 foot 10, 207 pound Murray taking consistent snaps from under center for the first time in his football existence could be worth the price of admission.
Keeping people interested in a franchise that possesses the worst record in the National Football League is no easy task. It's becoming more and more difficult to give up your Sunday afternoons for the 1-7 Cardinals. At this point, the polarizing Murray appears to be the only savior in sight.