Quietly, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is enjoying one of the best rookie seasons for a quarterback ever. Cam Newton would agree.
On Sunday, during the Cardinals' tilt with the Los Angeles Rams, Murray became the sixth quarterback in NFL history to ever had 3,500-plus passing yards and 500-plus rushing yards in a season. He joined Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton as the only rookie to achieve such a feat.
You can call that Offensive Rookie of the Year material.
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Cardinals, Murray has shown off his chops as a dynamic dual-threat passer. A top-10 MLB draft pick, he has the laser arm to string passes wherever he wants to and the strength plus accuracy to help it out. He also has elite speed, even if he never ran the 40-yard-dash at the NFL Combine.
Murray's rookie statistics should come as no surprise. There is a reason why he won the Heisman Trophy Award before becoming the No. 1. He's a menace on the field with the arm and legs to make a difference. Couple that with his cerebral play and Kliff Kingsbury's Air Raid scheme that made him transition comfortable, and the Cardinals have their guy.
The Cardinals will fall short of the playoffs. They will likely have a top-ten pick again. However, the 2019 season resembled one of much promise for the Redbirds. They have their quarterback in Murray. If they can surround him with a better offensive line and more receivers, he may take a second-year jump in 2020 similar to the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.
Will the Cardinals make the personnel decisions needed to turn the corner? One of their big obstacles is the fact that they play in the NFC West with two 2019 playoff teams, the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, plus the 2018 NFC champion Los Angeles Rams.
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