3 reasons the Arizona Cardinals historically bad luck will end in the 2020s
By Sion Fawkes
2 - Franchise quarterback
A contingent of fans may still be skeptical that Kyler Murray is a true franchise quarterback, but he picked up a wobbly 1-8 offense this season and led Arizona to wins over the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. Franchise quarterbacks do that, and while Murray wasn’t that type of player between 2019 and 2022, he has transformed into it over his eight-game stretch as a starter.
Plus, there aren’t many quarterbacks in the NFL whom anyone can honestly rank over Murray, and he’s at least a top-15 talent with the possibility of sliding back into the top-10 with a strong season in 2024. But rankings aside, he brings stability to the position, much like Jared Goff has in Detroit over the past three years.
Therefore, the Arizona Cardinals are just one team in roughly half the NFL to boast a talent that fans can honestly label as a franchise quarterback. Sure, Murray needs to win the NFC West and definitely a playoff game at some point, but if he can beat playoff-bound teams, hitting those marks may occur sooner than later.