Cardinals Leaders Know Kyler Murray Will Take Next Step

Arizona Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort are ready to fully see what QB Kyler Murray can do.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during minicamp at Dignity Health Training Center on June 11, 2024. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY

ARIZONA -- Tbe Arizona Cardinals are going on year two of their current regime of head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort, though this is the first full offseason they've had quarterback Kyler Murray healthy and in the building.

Murray recovered from his ACL tear through the first half of the 2023 season and arrived on the scene in Week 10. The Cardinals saw three of their four wins under Murray's guidance, but most importantly, Murray displayed he could return to the previous levels the organization envisioned when he was made the No. 1 overall pick.

All-22 and end zone look of the Kyler Murray bomb dropped by Rondale Moore in the first half.

What a dot. pic.twitter.com/AOzyKHhzrz

— Donnie Druin (@DonnieDruin) December 5, 2023

Even with an improved arsenal of weapons, most of the national media isn't quite ready to believe in Murray.

If you ask prominent faces around the organization, it's quite the opposite.

"I'm not going to hide my excitement, it's awesome to see him lead the offense. Lead the team, being there with his teammates, asking really good questions, getting held accountable in front of everyone and taking it on the chin just like everybody does, I love that about him," Gannon told reporters.

"It's because he's competitive as all get out, I coach him - he gets coached just like the rookie receiver getting coached making a mistake. He likes that. He welcomes that. He wants that. It's been really cool to see. I've told you guys - it's going to be an interesting year for him. It really is, I'm excited for him."

Ossenfort recently appeared on NFL Network and offered this on the franchise quarterback:

"One thing that's overlooked is Kyler had a lot on his plate last year in terms of rehabbing and getting his knee ready. Also learning a new offense, learning new coaches, learning new teammates and so what's lost is that last year when a lot of that team-building was taking place and the reps were being put in the spring and the rest were being put in training camp - the time when the team has the time to not focus on an opponent and just focus on our own selves internally - Kyler had a lot of other things to concentrate on, namely with his rehab and his health," said Ossenfort.

"For him to be able to be with the team this entire offseason, to be able to grow in the offense, to be able to grow in his leadership role, to be able to get to know his teammates, both old and new, that's been huge. It's been huge for the team, it's been huge for Kyler, it's been a role that he's embraced and taken and ran with. We're excited about him continuing to do that here as we move forward. That'll really keep going once we get into training camp. I think that's an important part for any teammate especially at the quarterback position, and it's one that we think Kyler has really embraced, and one that he's going to continue to grow with."