2023 will mark another year where the team is expected to compete for an AFC East division crown and possibly make a deep playoff run, and Murray said that chance to join a Super-Bowl contending squad was the “first and foremost” reason for signing with the Bills.
“A team has just been there year in and year out, and I think it’s just a long season,” Murray said. “I think you want to be playing your best ball late in the season. I know we have that mentality and that’s what we want to be doing this year.”
For his part, Murray will hope to play a key role in Buffalo’s revamped running back unit that will feature multiple new faces. The Bills’ go-to rusher, Devin Singletary, joined the Texans in the offseason, meaning James Cooks (507 yards) and Josh Allen (762) are the only returning players who had more than 100 total rushing yards.
Murray had 703 rushing yards and five TDs in 12 games after being signed by the Broncos mid-season, and in the past has hit the 1,000 rushing yard mark once in 2015, when he started all 16 games. And now, having signed a one-year deal in May to join the Bills, he’s excited for the opportunity to play competitive football in the state where he grew up.
“I’m happy to be a part of this great organization, this great fan base,” Murray said Friday, via The Buffalo News. “Happy to be back in New York. I’ll say that again. It means everything to me. As a kid, I grew up just down the road.”
Along with Cook, Murray is expected to compete for snaps with Nyheim Hines and Damien Harris, who were both signed this offseason, and Murray said with the way the group has already been making each other better, he’s feeling even more positive about the team’s chances at a first Lombardi Trophy come the fall.
“We’ve got a great group of running backs,” Murray said. “We have a great locker room, all in all. It’s been great here to get to know everybody. (We’ve) been getting better, been working out, training (and) been on the field now some. Just growing and learning and continuing to improve, that’s the goal.”