My Take: Murray Does Himself No Favors
INDIANAPOLIS -- Kyler Murray simply doesn’t get it. That’s the only logical conclusion that can be drawn from the fusillade launched by his agent, Erik Burkhardt, on Monday.
It might have been labeled as a “statement” from Burkhardt, but the very first words (“KYLER WANTS TO BE DIRECT WITH LOYAL ARIZIONA CARDINAL FANS AND THE GREAT COMMUNITY OF THE VALLEY”) made it clear he was speaking for Murray and he made sure the entire missive was in all CAPS.
Never mind that the supposedly carefully worded bomb had two factual errors, first saying the Cardinals are the only team in the NFL to have increased their win total by at least three in each of the last three seasons and then noting how Murray led the team to its first playoff appearance in five seasons.
Those “LOYAL” fans and everyone else knows it’s only the last two seasons where the team won three more games than the previous one and that it had been six years since their last time in the post-season in 2015.
But, why worry about facts when the apparent intent was to embarrass owner Michael Bidwill while putting public pressure on the team and essentially claiming that if Murray doesn’t get his long-term extension NOW, it would show a lack of commitment by the organization.
It had been only three days since Bidwill professed his “love” for Murray, said everything was actually fine based on several conversations between the two with one last Thursday, while noting that quarterback contracts often take time.
Bidwill accurately mentioned that Patrick Mahomes (July 6, 2020) and Josh Allen (Aug. 6, 2021) each signed in the summertime. Those deals occurred for both in their fourth season, which is where Murray is now.
Bidwill said pointedly of the previous two-plus weeks of controversy that followed Murray’s scrubbing of Cardinals images from his Instagram, “I think there was a lot of interpretation around that, that was inconsistent with the conversations that not just I have had, but I know (head coach Kliff Kingsbury) and (general manager Steve Keim) have had, and so positive conversations that are going in the right direction.”
So much for the right direction.
Murray comes off like a petulant toddler accustomed to getting his way when he then realizes that might not always be the case.
Does he actually believe this strategy will make the Cardinals buckle? Or is he so full of himself that he thinks the team can’t survive without him?
Even if that is true, and some might argue it isn’t, is this the way to go about it?
One club source told AllCardinals Monday night, “He certainly didn’t help us, but he didn’t help himself either.”
Meanwhile, Kingsbury, who is also represented by Burkhardt, and Keim, are scheduled to talk to the media Tuesday at the Scouting Combine.
They will likely try and downplay what Murray/Burkhardt did, while privately seething.
After all, what Murray apparently doesn’t comprehend is that his actions in the last three weeks have only confirmed many of the criticisms leveled against him.
