The decision about Kyler Murray’s future as quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL has apparently been made. Head coach Jonathan Gannon made a clear statement about this on Tuesday.
There has been speculation for a long time as to whether the Cardinals are planning on using Murray as their QB of the future or whether they will presumably trade him away after the season in order to then reposition themselves in the draft. If Gannon has his way, the matter is now clear. During his weekly appearance on the Burns and Gambo Show on Arizona Sports, Gannon was asked if there was any doubt about whether Murray would be his quarterback next season. Gannon’s direct answer: “No, there isn’t.”
“There’s no doubt. No. 1 is our franchise quarterback,” Gannon said, chuckling at the question.
The Cardinals currently have a record of 4-12, surprisingly beat the Philadelphia Eagles 35:31 on the road in Week 17 with a late comeback and now have the fourth pick in the upcoming draft. This may put them in position to pick Ohio State wide receiver standout Marvin Harrison Jr., who would be a huge upgrade for Murray’s offense.
Murray opened season on PUP List
Murray began the season on the PUP list after tearing his ACL in preseason and only returned later this season.
Since his return, the Cardinals are 3-4 in an offense that is completely new to Murray under offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Overall, he showed mixed performances after a long break, but recently had his best performance of the season against the Eagles. Overall, the squad lacks quality around him, but the Cardinals have shown generally positive trends since his return.
Murray was the first overall pick in the 2019 draft and only signed a five-year, $230 million contract extension in 2022 that guaranteed him $103 million. He is guaranteed $35.3 million for 2024.