Cardinals Mailbag: The Future of Kyler Murray, Marquise Brown and More

Arizona Cardinals questions galore in this mailbag! We answer questions on the future of Kyler Murray, Marquise Brown and much more.

The Arizona Cardinals approach their Week 6 meeting with the Los Angeles Rams hoping to get their second win of the season after starting 1-4. 

Fans have questions, and we opened up our mailbag on social media to receive plenty of responses. Thank you to everybody on Twitter and Facebook who responded, and sorry this took so long to get out.

While the Cardinals finalize their prep for another NFC West battle on the road, let's answer some questions:

Q: What is the benefit to winning games and losing out on the Caleb Williams opportunity?

A: Simply put, losing is contagious. It's not something you can simply flip a switch on during the offseason and go into winning mode after securing a No. 1 pick. 

We're already seeing the new culture/identity by Jonathan Gannon take into effect, and the Cardinals are playing far above expectations as a result.

Talent will come and go, but a winning culture is extremely hard to establish. Doing the right things and setting a standard will - more times than not - eventually pay off. 

That would be the benefit of winning and losing out on the Caleb Williams sweepstakes - if Arizona can win more games than anybody had anticipated, you have to like their chances of taking another step forward in 2024. 

Q: Who would be on the Cardinals' short list for OC candidates if their OC is hired to be a head coach somewhere this offseason? Any in-house candidates?

A: That, my friend, is a tremendous question. If Drew Petzing gets hired as a head coach somewhere, you have to love what the Cardinals did in 2023. 

In-house, three names stick out: QB coach Israel Woolfork, pass game specialist Spencer Whipple and WR coach/passing game coordinator Drew Terrell. Woolfork previously was in Cleveland with Petzing so if you're looking to emulate his style, he might be the best fit. 

For what it's worth, Terrell also interviewed for the spot before Petzing got it. 

Outside of the organization, I would have to defer to New Orleans Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas, who was the only other person reportedly considered for the job. 

Q: Are the Cardinals going to sign Marquise Brown to a long-term deal?

A: The two sides likely discussed this in the offseason, but Brown is likely looking for a much higher number than the rebuilding Cardinals are wanting to give him. Brown was coming off a foot injury in 2022 and has already popped on the injury report this season, so the two sides are probably wanting to see what the final production looks like before Brown is handed the bag. 

I don't think they'll negotiate a deal before free agency, and Brown probably wants to see what the market is like for him. 

Q: When do you personally believe will see Kyler Murray on the field?

A: My preseason prediction was Week 7-8, but Murray has yet to be removed from the PUP list and he'll need - in my very expert opinion - at least two weeks to ensure he's good to go on the field. 

I can't report what I see outside of the open portions of practice, BUT if I had to magically guess, I would suppose he's nearing the end of his rehab based on his timeline. 

At this point, I'd probably shift that timeline to Week 10-12 at this point. The Cardinals have been adamant they're in no rush to get Murray back thanks to the play of Josh Dobbs. 

Which leads us into our next question.

Q: If Kyler Murray comes out playing like trash, do you think Josh Dobbs could be the face of the franchise? 

A: I don't want to dismiss what Josh Dobbs has accomplished here in Arizona. To this point, he's earned the right to either remain in this quarterback room or potentially go compete for a bridge opportunity somewhere else. 

To add to that, it's reasonable to not expect Murray to be at his absolute best when he comes back, whether that's due to a fresh return from injury, playing in a new system or anything between. 

It would, however, be a massive stretch to believe in Dobbs to be the franchise quarterback moving forward. He's been in the league since 2017 and has just completed his first stretch of three starts under center. 

I'm not saying Dobbs isn't talented - or he hasn't found a new resurgence similar to Geno Smith in Seattle - but if Murray plays bad when he returns, there's reason to believe the Cardinals would be eying one of the quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft rather than settle on Dobbs for the future. 

Q: How’s Budda Baker looking coming back from his injury?

A: Budda Baker still has one more week to go before he can be activated from injured reserve, but he's been in fairly high spirits around the locker room and it feels like he's very eager to get back. 

Q: Do you think Kyler Murray has a long-term future in the Valley?

A: Always with the tough questions, you guys. Sheesh. 

The very honest answer to this is - we don't know. I don't know. You don't know. The Cardinals don't know themselves. 

They absolutely need to see what he looks like on the field before any decision can be made, and to their credit, general manager Monti Ossenfort has positioned the organization greatly to pivot in either direction. 

If he looks good, obviously the Cardinals can build from there. If he doesn't at least teams know he's healthy before potentially trying to trade for him. 

But you're asking my personal opinion here: With absolutely no understanding of what Murray will play like, it all depends on where Arizona lands in the draft. I think if they sit at No. 1, it's very hard to pass up someone touted as highly as Caleb Williams.