Things are going from uplifting, to bad, to downright terrible for the Arizona Cardinals. The franchise was starting to trend upward when they traded for DeAndre Hopkins, undefeated at one point in 2021, only for things to fall off in a huge way.
Kyler Murray started exhibiting signs he was unhappy with his contract, so the team reluctantly paid him, but added a study clause in there that required him to complete four hours of independent study outside of normal team activities. That portion of the deal was subsequently scrapped. It seems they should’ve left it after one player on the team talked about his QB in a negative way.
In a conversation with NFL insider Mike Silver, a veteran player on the Cardinals suggested the Cardinals “created a monster” by giving Murray a contract extension.
“After quarterback Kyler Murray fought for and received a massive (five years, $230.5 million) contract extension of his own last July, “it was like they created a monster,” according to one Cardinals veteran I spoke to last Sunday. Once paid, the veteran said, Murray felt less compulsion to study his game plan or to fulfill the expectations of the franchise QB position than he had in the past, and the Cardinals’ collapse felt predictable.”
The team finished the year 4-13 after making the playoffs the previous season. Perhaps removing the “independent study” requirement may have been a bad idea.
The Arizona Cardinals cleaned house after the 2022 season ended, firing head coach Kliff Kingsbury and watching general manager Steve Keim walk away due to health reasons.
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Murray suffered a torn ACL at the end of the 2022 season and may not be ready to return for 2023. Even if he is ready, he likely won’t have his top WR in Hopkins as the team is looking to trade him.
The 25-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance, but it’s impossible to ignore how badly he played as soon as he got the contract he wanted.
