There is no more nonsense, the drama in the desert has subsided.
Following Instagram cleanses and reports of immaturity, quarterback Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals are on the same page and the goal in Glendale is moving forward, NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported Thursday.
Slater, who reported “everything is copacetic” between the club and its franchise QB, added her understanding is the parties are now working to exercise the former No. 1 overall pick’s fifth-year option or agree to terms on a long-term deal. Murray has one season remaining on his rookie contract.
Ten days prior, Murray, 24, released a statement on social media that came after a much-publicized Instagram scrub and a report that those within the club viewed Murray as immature and lacking leadership.
“I play this game for the love of it, my teammates, everyone who has helped me get to this position that believed in me (and) to win championships,” Murray wrote. “All of this nonsense is not what I’m about, never has been, never will be. Anyone who has ever stepped between those lines with me knows how hard I go.
“Love me or hate me but I’m going to continue to grow and get better.”
Though Murray’s Instagram still has just three images, there is one of him in a Cardinals uniform and any disharmony seems to have improved, per Slater’s report of moving forward.
Prior to Murray’s statement on Feb. 14, it was reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo that the Cardinals were looking for Murray to make progress with his maturity and leadership. The largest example cited of Murray’s lack of maturity and/or leadership was that he did not finish out the Cardinals’ wild-card loss to the Rams on the field, as backup Colt McCoy took the last snaps of the season.
The report followed Murray cleansing his Instagram account of any and all Cardinals references after he played in the Pro Bowl on Feb. 6. The team followed that up with its own social media scrub.
Amid all the histrionics and confusion, the team released a statement on Super Bowl Sunday to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport maintaining its commitment to the top pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.
“Nothing has changed regarding our opinion and high regard for Kyler Murray,” the statement read. “We as a team and Kyler individually have improved each year he’s been in the league. We are excited to continue that improvement in 2022 and are excited that Kyler Murray is the quarterback leading us.”
Despite a rough conclusion to the 2021 season for Murray individually and the team, the Oklahoma product still had his third straight season to start his career with 3,700 or more yards passing and 24 or more total touchdowns, along with earning his second Pro Bowl selection.
The forecast in Arizona has improved with Murray and the Cardinals looking ahead and moving forward.
