Kyler Murray, the Arizona Cardinals' quarterback, remains unsatisfied with his team's performance as he enters his sixth year in the NFL. Despite notable improvements and personal achievements, the 27-year-old quarterback is feeling the weight of missed playoff opportunities. With a 36-45-1 record in the league, Murray continues to strive for Super Bowl victories, a goal he holds dearly. In 2022, he completed 68.8% of his passes for 3,851 yards, delivering 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Although the Cardinals sat atop the NFC West briefly during the season, they ultimately failed to secure a playoff spot, marking the fifth time Murray experienced such disappointment.
Murray's journey in the NFL began with high expectations. As the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft and a recipient of the prestigious Heisman Trophy, he quickly established himself as a Pro Bowler. His performance on the field has shown significant growth, with Murray acknowledging a better understanding of defenses and his role in the offense. Coach Jonathan Gannon praises Murray as an "excellent" fit, describing him as a top-level franchise quarterback.
"He is a top-level franchise quarterback, and he's played like that." – Jonathan Gannon
Taking about a week off after a challenging 2022 season, Murray returned to training with a renewed focus. Reflecting on his performance, he expressed frustration with missing the playoffs yet again. Despite the Cardinals' 8-9 record, Murray felt he was playing some of his best football. He emphasized the importance of learning from losses and continuing to play at a high level.
"Being able to move on and you don't want to learn how to lose, but at the end of the day you kind of have to learn how to deal with those things and continue to play the game at a high level. I guess you could say that's maturity and age." – Jonathan Gannon
The quarterback shared insights into his evolving strategy on the field. By eliminating unnecessary thinking pre-snap, Murray aims to play faster and achieve better results. This approach aligns with his desire to improve with each season.
"There are a lot of things that I can eliminate pre-snap and be able to play faster." – Kyler Murray
"Which is essentially where you want to be as a quarterback because less thinking and playing faster usually ends in better results." – Kyler Murray
While acknowledging the importance of adapting to challenges, Murray expressed his aversion to becoming accustomed to repeated disappointments. His commitment to winning Super Bowls in Arizona remains unwavering.
"I don't want to get used to it every year." – Kyler Murray
"It's frustrating, it's frustrating. You put so much into it to not have a chance to win at all. It's tough." – Kyler Murray
Having grown up experiencing minimal losses in sports, transitioning to the NFL introduced Murray to unfamiliar territory. He admitted that dealing with failures initially took a toll on him. However, through maturity and experience, he has learned to handle setbacks more effectively.
"It's Year 6 for me, but growing up there wasn't a lot of losing. Getting into the league and dealing with failure, I took it super hard. I think it was kind of a detriment." – Kyler Murray
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