The Cardinals are coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons and they have been to the playoffs once in the last eight seasons, so it’s not a great surprise that there have been few predictions of big success coming their way in 2024.
Low expectations aren’t a problem for quarterback Kyler Murray, though. When asked about the long odds the Cardinals carry into the season, Murray didn’t argue that people should be setting the bar higher for the team but did say “let them sleep” on a team that he believes is in a much better place than in the recent past.
“I can understand why,” Murray said, via CBSSports.com. “You know, I don’t even feel like I’ve scratched the surface of what I’m able to do in this league. Kind of being hurt the last season and a half, it is what it is. In this world, it’s kind of what have you done for me lately? We haven’t won. So, I understand, but I’m primed and ready to prove what I’m able to do, what I’m capable of, what this team’s capable of. It’s the ultimate team sport, and I’m ready to go. And this team’s ready to go, for sure.”
Rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. factored heavily into Murray’s argument for why the team can outperform expectations this season and the partnership between the two players will have a major impact on the team’s fortunes this fall.
Kyler Murray’s approaching 2024 with a vengeance after getting relentlessly trolled for obsessing over the Call of Duty video game series for much of 2023.
Murray’s addiction to Call of Duty became such a talking point that fans literally tracked his stats from before and after the game was released. Notably, the Arizona Cardinals quarterback has seen a dip in production yearly dating back to 2019 in his post-online warfare splits.
Despite his excessive gaming habits, Murray also made a midseason return from a Grade 3 ACL tear he suffered in December 2022. The injury presumably hampered his performance more than anything.
Be that as it may, there aren’t many Cardinals believers out there as they prepare for the upcoming NFL campaign. Sportsbooks have Arizona’s win total over/under ranging from 6.5 to 7.5 games, further validating that notion.
But now that he’s over a year removed from a daunting knee issue, Murray’s ready to prove his and the Cardinals’ naysayers wrong.
Yeah, I mean, let them sleep,” Murray told former Pro Bowl running back and current NFL on CBS Analyst Tiki Barber during a recent conversation. “Our job is to wake them up and allow them to realize what’s going on out here.”
Afterward, Murray expressed confidence in his supporting cast. He cited the addition of rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison, one of the most polished prospects in recent memory. Moreover, it was abundantly clear that the two-time Pro Bowler has faith in veteran running back James Conner and Arizona’s rushing attack.
“I think, with the addition of Marv[in Harrison Jr.], obviously, he’s a natural God-gifted ability to play the position of wide receiver. Mike Wilson, Greg Dortch, Trey McBride. Man, James [Conner] and all the running backs that we have, our O-line … I think the sky is the limit for this offense, for sure.”
Following a disappointing 4-13 record in the inaugural season of Jonathan Gannon’s first head coaching gig, Murray has high hopes for the Cardinals. The latest buzz from the Arizona sideline general suggests the dual-threat signal-caller has taken considerable strides this offseason.
“Physically and mentally, I mean, [Murray] looks damn good. He looks damn good,” Gannon said on Mad Dog Sports Radio earlier this week. ” … I think he’s leaps and bounds ahead [of where he finished last year].