Cardinals QB Kyler Murray Impressing Coaches, Teammates in Road to Recovery
TEMPE -- The Arizona Cardinals are wrapping up their OTA's here at the team facility in Tempe, moving one step closer to the 2023 season.
There's plenty of questions surrounding the team - but perhaps rightfully so. Arizona went 4-13 last season, lost majority of their talent and are under both a new front office and coaching staff.
If there's a recipe for success somewhere, it probably isn't here in the desert, at least not yet.
Another major hurdle is the health of quarterback Kyler Murray, who tore his ACL in Week 14 of last season. After having surgery in January, Murray's timetable for return is still unknown.
But Murray has still made his presence felt in the building as he has been rehabbing at the team facility. He's also been spotted on the field talking with coaches and overseeing practice, getting in mental reps on the field and in meetings.
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon isn't too worried about Murray's lack of physical experience when it comes to operating a new offense under new coordinator Drew Petzing.
"Just like everybody, reps are your greatest tool for learning. But he's played a lot of football and he's an extremely intelligent person," Gannon said on Murray.
"A guy that's played at a high level for a long time [like Kyler] I'm not as worried as much, he doesn't need to bank 100 reps. We talked about [how] he's seen cover three all the ways to play it... he'll have some rust he's gonna have to knock off but he'll be ready to go."
Marquise Brown - Murray's new WR1 with DeAndre Hopkins now off the team - says he's been excited watching his quarterback work his way back.
"He's been attacking it. Been going hard every day, smile on his face, getting other guys going when he's not out there, so I'm excited," Brown said. "He wants to get back out there so I know he's gonna attack it as best as he can to try to make it back out there whenever he can."
Fellow receiver Rondale Moore says Murray has stayed the same through his recovery process:
"He's always been the same guy. Hard worker who goes out there and does what he has to do in order to get better. I think it's as simple as that," said Moore.
"Comes in early, gets his work done, comes outside watches practice. Watches tape, he'll text you if he sees something on tape he didn't like or he does like. Asks questions and just goes from there. So he's been great."
Franchise left tackle D.J. Humphries - who has gotten to spend more quality time with Murray thanks to his own rehab from a back injury - has a newfound respect for his quarterback.
"I feel like I have learned a lot about Kyler because we've been in the training room a lot," said Humphries.
"I feel like I've gotten to know him more this offseason, just being around him and seeing him attack his rehab like this, it has been impressive. It's different. You see quarterbacks, you don't get to see the work because it's not like - they're not going to be in the weight room deadlifting all this weight. You don't get to see it. But being in the building and watching him grinding since we've been in the offseason, it's been fun to see. You get to see something different from your guy."
For now, Murray is indeed Arizona's guy. The future could hold other fortunes, but it's clear he's been impressing everybody in the building as he works closer towards his return.
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