Stigma Still Follows Cardinals QB Kyler Murray - But Why?

Why are we still talking about Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray and his gaming?

Jan 7, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) reacts after the game against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- For better or worse, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray might be one of the more polarizing figures in the state.

It's typical for all eyes to be on who many believe to be one of the greatest high school football players ever - someone who eventually played at a major program like Oklahoma, won the Heisman trophy and got drafted No. 1 overall.

Murray - at that point - was already under the microscope. Years down the road after Arizona drafted him, he was awarded a $230.5 million contract.

When it comes to reasons for attention/criticism, Murray checks virtually every box.

Such is life as an NFL quarterback, especially one with Murray's persona. There was hope Arizona would have been a perennial playoff contender with him at the helm, though the Cardinals have been to one postseason trip under his guidance, which resulted in an embarresing loss to the division rival Los Angeles Rams.

Football is a team game, and the ultimate failure to reach potential thus far does not fall squarely on Murray. It'd take a brief glance at previous coaching staffs, front offices and overall team-building to grasp what Murray was working with.

Yet Murray himself isn't exactly exempt from criticism. We all remember the social media drama throughout his contract negotiations. His play on the field was hit/miss for periods of time and off the field, massive questions surrounding his maturity and leadership persisted.

The infamous study clause included in his new deal generated massive chatter around Murray's commitment to the game, which was gasoline to a fire first perpetuated from a stigma that the quarterback focused too much on streaming/video games.

Any negative noise surrounding Murray has been mostly silenced since Jonathan Gannon walked through the doors last offseason - though every now and again chatter will still pop back up.

That was again the case this past weekend thanks to Colin Cowherd, the ever popular and vocal voice for Fox Sports Radio.

Cowherd's podcast channel on YouTube recently posted a clip to its 770k subscribers with the headline, "Kyler Murray needs to GROW UP for Arizona Cardinals".

“He’s accurate, he’s a playmaker, he got a poorly-owned franchise to the playoffs in a tough division,” Cowherd said of Murray, who he admitted was a top ten quarterback in terms of ability. “I think the gaming thing is a huge stigma. I think older GMs look at it and think, ‘Jesus, grow the eff up. Like, this guy’s addicted to gaming.'”

Cowherd also added, “Quarterback people say he’s the best Texas high school football player ever. He wins the Heisman. He gets Arizona to the playoffs. The fans don’t like him. The media doesn’t like him. Execs don’t like him. His owner doesn’t like him. I’ve never seen a player this talented … Nobody’s saying be patient people bailed on him.”

Co-host John Middlekauff offered this in rebuttal:

“I think the gaming thing represents something that a lot of people had question marks on,” he said [h/t Awful Announcing].

“How hard was he willing to work? And how much did football mean to him? Because there were some question marks early on in his career. And the NFL is a lot like high school. There aren’t that many people there, and everybody knows everybody, and word travels fast because there is no disputing."

Why is this even a topic?

Murray has shed nearly every negative label he once carried. Numerous teammates and coaches have said he's the first person in the facility and the last out, compounding that with his leadership role growing within the organization.

Being in a press conference room 10 feet away from Murray for three seasons now, I can vouch that Murray carries himself differently in front of the media. Since the ACL injury in late 2022, Murray's honed the true role of a face of the franchise - no longer is he defensive when asked questions or displays anything remotely close to being immature in front of a microphone.

When it comes to video games, I can't recall the last time Murray was spotted on a stream or in the locker room raving about Call of Duty - that simply doesn't happen. Other NFL GM's still have that perception of Murray, which is fine: Monti Ossenfort is thrilled with his quarterback thus far.

Ultimately, winning trumps all. Murray has an improved arsenal of weapons around him and a full offseason to divulge offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's system. There's serious hope 2024 will be a good year in the desert, but that all relies on Murray holding up his end of the bargain.

That's what Murray signed up for, though. He'll take that responsibility.

Podcasts will be had. Stories will be written. Narratives will be furthered. Why this topic was chosen here and now for Cowherd's audience is beyond me - perhaps it was drawn out of a hat.

Yet it's quite apparent there's still a stigma following Murray, even though by all accounts (from top to bottom) Murray is far from the person people outside of the facility believe or want him to be.

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