Report: Kliff Kingsbury-Kyler Murray Relationship Has Gone Sour
Simply put, things have not gone how the Arizona Cardinals wanted in 2022.
Success in the NFL falls on the shoulders of two people: A head coach and quarterback.
That plays a major role into why the relationship between the two is important. No harmony there means things are likely to fall apart on and off the field.
The partnership of Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray is well documented. Kingsbury coveted Murray's talents so deeply when he was running the show at Texas Tech but ultimately failed to get Murray's commitment.
After being fired by the Red Raiders, Kingsbury fell forward into his current position as head coach in Arizona. Picking No. 1 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft afforded him the opportunity to finally coach Murray, and that opportunity wasn't going to be passed.
Over the years, the Cardinals have progressively grown in terms of improvement. Sure, starting as one of the worst teams in the league gives a low bar - but Arizona showed steady incline in their record to eventually stumble into a Wild Card playoff appearance last season.
The future looked bright, and as a result, extensions were handed out to Murray, Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim in the offseason.
The dynamic between Murray-Kingsbury has interesting to watch up close. Although media don't get to see the personal interactions between the two, we do get to feel the energy in the room when either speak on the other and answer questions, something fans aren't privy to.
The relationship has often been characterized as two emotional people simply trying to win. Both have laughed off the notion, on multiple occasions, that something may be fractured.
Yet people around both insist things have gone quickly downhill.
Numerous times on national television have Kingsbury and Murray been spotted getting into it on the field/sideline. That may come with what is now a 4-10 record, but what's odd is you haven't really seen any other Cardinals clash to those levels - just their head coach and quarterback.
A recent report filed from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Josh Weinfuss revealed plenty on the current state of the Cardinals, especially the dynamic between Kingsbury and Murray:
"Murray was lost for the season when he tore his ACL in his right knee three plays into a Monday night loss to the New England Patriots on Dec. 12. That event occurred after Murray and his head coach had grown increasingly distant throughout Arizona's disappointing 4-10 season, according to multiple Cardinals sources."
The report continued by saying, "But the scheme has become predictable at times, some NFL coaches and defensive players who faced Arizona told ESPN … Another core issue fueling division was Murray's feelings about the offense. While one source close to Murray said the quarterback wanted more freedom at the line of scrimmage, particularly with running plays, multiple sources said plays designed to get certain playmakers the ball often didn't come to fruition, either due to miscommunication, a play breaking down or Murray improvising, and the disjointed attack created unpredictability for some of the team's pass-catchers."
"It's not good," a team source told ESPN last month. "It seems particularly bad this year."
Another person said, "They're cordial," and added "it's not the relationship you want from your quarterback and coach," according to the report.
Things have gotten sour in the desert.
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