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It’s evident, even to Kyler Murray. And his receivers feel the drag. The Arizona Cardinals' loss to the Seahawks is more proof that Murray is not the team’s answer at the quarterback position.
Seattle’s Zach Charbonnet ran for a career-high 134 yards and two touchdowns, and two interceptions by Murray contributed to the Cardinals taking a giant step away from being an NFC West title contender with a 30-18 setback. It also deeply hurt the team’s playoff chances.
And while everything can’t be placed at Murray’s doorstep, even he sees the issue, according to a post on X by Craig Morgan.
“Cardinals QB Kyler Murray: ‘I feel like I let the team down today.’ ”
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray no longer in elite conversation
Murray burst onto the NFL scene in 2019. The first overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft put together a performance that landed him the AP offensive rookie of the year honor. He passed for 3,722 yards with 20 touchdowns while adding 544 yards and four scores on the ground.
Then in year two, he totaled 819 yards and 11 TDs rushing while throwing for 3,971 yards and 26 scores. He added a second straight Pro Bowl season in 2021, but he hasn’t been the same since.
Murray’s record over the last three seasons in 12-20. Things trended in a better direction early in the 2024 season, at least from a win-loss standpoint. But Sunday’s loss added to the woes Murray has experienced all season. He has only topped the 300-yard passing mark one time. And in five games he has fallen short of 200 yards.
Also, Murray isn’t the dynamic runner he displayed early in his career. He’s still a threat, but his 444 yards and four touchdowns on the ground haven’t been impactful. At 5-foot-10, Murray needs to be a beast on the ground. He must terrorize defenses with his legs in order to create passing success. It simply hasn’t been there this year.
Most glaring, Murray has turned No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. into a disappointment. It’s not Harrison’s fault. Murray can’t get him the football. Harrison has only two 100-yard receiving games. And in the other 11 games he hasn’t topped 64 yards. For a player of his ability, even though he’s a rookie, this is inexcusable. And Murray holds a big share of the blame.
In has been up-and-down season for Kyler Murray
In his last three games, Murray has four touchdown passes and five interceptions. Think about that for a moment. These three games will likely shape the entire season as the Cardinals fell from title contender to last place.
Let’s be clear about one thing. Finding a playoff -worthy quarterback in the NFL is a hard thing to do. The Cardinals can’t necessarily hit reset and jettison Murray onto the has-been heap. But if an NFL isn’t trying to field a roster that can win in the playoffs, there’s little sense in worrying about the quarterback position anyway.
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said Murray is giving plenty of effort, according to seahawks.com.
“I think every game's a little bit different,” Gannon said. “I thought he stuck in there and made some big time throws though, but he has to protect the ball a little bit better. That's not just him, that's all 11 so there'll be a lot of corrections off those plays to what needs to happen. I honestly thought the first play, 13 (Seahawks CB Ernest Jones IV) made a really good play. That's where the ball should have went, and he kind of read his eyes and rocked back out of it. He was playing the strong side and came back to the weak. That was good play, so give credit to them.”
Gannon added he didn’t need to talk to Murray about the critics.
“Yeah, I don't have to say anything to him (Murray),” Gannon said. “He knows that. (To) the critics, (Murray is) the reason that we're playing meaningful games in December right now. He's a huge piece to that. That's what I would tell them.”
Kyler Murray's confidence hasn't waned
“I'm super confident when I go to sleep at night, in this locker room and with the guys that I play football with,” Murray said. “I don't worry or have fear when I step on the field with them at all. And I mean that wholeheartedly.
“No need to press. I'm not looking at it like I have to try to be Superman. I don't think that's the answer. I just need to play within the offense like we've done for the majority of the season. Today, I didn't. Like I said, throwing two picks puts yourself behind the eight ball in the NFL like that. It's tough.”
But losing control of the team’s playoff destiny hurts, he added.
“Yeah, it sucks,” Murray said, “It sucks when you feel like you put yourself in this position, but at the end of the day we have to show up again. We have another home game next week, and we'll put our best foot forward when it comes down to it.”
