Kyler Murray: franchise QB or franchise crybaby?

Kyler Murray is without doubt one of the best young quarterbacks in the National Football League. The 5’10” 2019 first overall pick has proven the height-haters wrong after delivering two Pro Bowl seasons and successfully turning the Cardinals organization around.

Leading up to Murray’s draft, there was immense speculation about his and the organization’s future. The Cardinals had just traded up to draft UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen with the tenth overall pick in the 2018 draft. After a lackluster rookie season and the hiring of new head coach Kliff Kingsbury, rumors began circling that the Cardinals could use their first-round selection on a quarterback in back-to-back seasons.

Kingsbury reportedly was infatuated with Murray’s talent and what he could bring to the new Cardinals offense.

Leading into the draft, there were many questions circling Murray such as his height (most NFL QBs are over 6’0”) and the possibility of Murray choosing to play in the MLB instead of pursing a professional quarterback career. Murray was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft by the Oakland Athletics, making him the only player to be drafted in the first round in two major league drafts.

Murray reiterated that he would like to play both professional sports as he had in college, which led to more speculation about his love for football and his commitment to the team that drafts him.

This extreme athleticism is what makes the first overall selection of Murray a spectacular pick. Countless times during Murray’s three-year career we’ve watched in awe as this short superstar scrambled out of the pocket, evaded defenders and found weapons downfield for large gains. This ability to scramble, and, more importantly, scramble to throw downfield, is what makes him one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL.

However, after three seasons of proving his merit in the league, Murray wants his money. Murray made his wants apparent after pulling a classic millennial move and scrubbing his social media of everything related to the Cardinals organization a week before the Pro Bowl.

This forced the Cardinals organization to answer questions when all eyes are on them and push Murray’s money demands to the forefront of every conversation. This cunning tactical move was answered by the Cardinals organization later in the week when they hilariously deleted everything off their Instagram account except for a few pictures of Murray in retaliation.

Murray’s antics continued when his agent, Erik Burkhardt, released an out-of-pocket statement regarding Murray’s situation. The format of the statement is the first thing that stands out, as it is in all caps. Additionally, some parts are bolded, while others are italicized. The summary of the statement is that Murray elevated the Cardinals organization to its current contender status, that Murray wants to be the long-term quarterback in Arizona and that Murray wants to win a Super Bowl. This strange statement ultimately proved this must all be about Murray wanting his new contract now.

The move to demand a trade because of this situation would seem strange, as the Cardinals have done everything to help their blooming stud quarterback. The Cardinals traded for one of the best receivers in the league when they acquired DeAndre Hopkins. The Cardinals additionally added tight end Zach Ertz from the Eagles at the trade deadline last year.

The Cardinals have done everything in their power to support Murray and do their part in turning this team into a contender.

The real juicy part of this story is how Burkhardt connects with the Cardinals organization and their inability to perform at the end of the season. Over the last two seasons the Cardinals have looked strong all year, only to fall very short at the end of the season.

After this year’s playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams, Cardinals ownership expressed that they would not give playoff bonuses to the coaching staff. This overall petty move by ownership may end up costing the organization much more in terms of a Kyler Murray contract because Burkhardt not only represents Murray but also head coach Kilff Kingsbury. The connection between the Cardinals late season failures, the coaching staff, ownership and quarterback are all connected by Burkhardt.

So, if the Cardinals will not adhere to the promise of playoff compensation to the coaching staff, then the agent who represents multiple levels of the team might make them pay in terms of their stud quarterback’s new deal.

Murray has been ridiculed by the media for the last couple of weeks due to the negative framing around his antics.

These head-scratching moves may not fall solely on Murray, but they could result in him joining the ever growing impressive list of quarterbacks who might have new homes this upcoming season.