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The Arizona Cardinals are hoping the 2025 season is the year where they can put all the pieces of the puzzle together. With Kyler Murray and an assortment of talent around him on offense, the Cardinals have what it takes to win every time they take the field. According to a recent report, though, they may start reusing a key element of their offense that worked so well for one of their former star wide receivers, DeAndre Hopkins.
When Hopkins was healthy, he and Murray were one of the most dominant passing games duos in the NFL during their three seasons together. Part of their success was their ability to link up on off-script plays, which is something the Cardinals have gotten away from since his departure. That may change in 2025, though, as reports indicate the Cardinals will be looking to create some of those off-script plays for Murray and his cast of playmakers in an effort to keep opposing defenses on their toes.
“I was told Arizona looked back at what Murray was doing a few years ago where he and DeAndre Hopkins would always connect on those off-scripted plays,” Jeremy Fowler said on SportsCenter. “They said Hopkins was elite at it, and so was Murray. So this time around in OTAs and minicamp, sometimes they would sort of break the play a little bit. He would jump out, just to test and see where guys show up, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride, see how the pieces unfold. They're going to see a lot of that.”
How #Cardinals are tapping into Kyler Murray’s off-schedule playmaking in 2025. @SportsCenter with @KevinNegandhi pic.twitter.com/gE55M35AkV
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 21, 2025
Cardinals looking to let Kyler Murray cook in 2025
Murray played all 17 games last season, but he struggled to create some of the explosive plays he and Hopkins excelled at making during their time together. Murray's numbers weren't bad by any stretch of the imagination (3,851 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 572 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns), but it's telling that the Cardinals went 8-9 and missed the playoffs.
In order to take that next step forward, Arizona wants to lean into Murray's athleticism and give him the freedom to do as he pleases under center. That involves getting on the same page as guys like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride so that when he improvises and uses his legs, they know what to do. There will certainly be a learning curve for those situations, but the hope is that Murray can recreate some of the magic he and Hopkins specialized in only a few years ago.
