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Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. — Kyler Murray stood behind a podium Sunday evening, the Arizona Cardinals’ loss to the Detroit Lions still a fresh memory, and talked about being encouraged and thrilled after coming within a touchdown against a team that played for the NFC Championship last season.
For years, Murray lamented losses, especially ones like Sunday’s, where the Cardinals had a chance. As a rookie, he would be “miserable” after losses and could rarely accept moral victories. In a moment of exasperation while sitting at his locker after the game, Murray belted out the f-word. The loss dropped the Cardinals to 1-2, with both losses coming by a touchdown or less to two 2023 playoff teams.
At first, Murray tried to shun the idea that he had acknowledged a moral win. Then he quickly came around to the idea.
“Yeah, in a sense,” Murray said. “It’s a good team. It’s a good team and I know what this team is capable of and that’s the exciting part. That’s all it comes down to. I know what we’re capable of.
“I love what we have in the locker room.”
The man who stood in front of the row of cameras Sunday was a different version of himself, one who’s been a work in progress since suffering an ACL injury in December 2022. Every step of Murray’s return has revealed a revised form of the quarterback, which led Murray to admitting a couple of weeks ago that he is the happiest he’s been in the NFL.
It’s evident in his early play. He’s off to the second-best statistical start of his career through three games only behind his 2021 performance, when he led Arizona to a 10-2 start and was part of the MVP conversation before Arizona finished 1-4. His total QBR (75.6) — the third highest behind the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen (92.6) and New Orleans Saints’ Derek Carr (81.6) — completion percentage (68.6%), passing touchdowns (five) and yards per attempt (7.4) are all second best in his career. He’s ranked third in rushing yards (161) among quarterbacks, fourth in air yards per attempt (9.1) and fifth in passing touchdowns.
He can build on that start Sunday against Washington in front of a familiar face: former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, now the Commanders’ offensive coordinator. Kingsbury spent four years in Arizona, compiling a 28-37-1 record and one playoff appearance. His tenure was defined by his relationship with Murray, which had soured to the point where the two went stretches without interacting much by the end.
“He’s mature,” coach Jonathan Gannon said. “One of our leaders obviously, but he’s a mature person and he understands the season of the NFL. We’re in late September here. There’s a lot of ball to play so we got a lot to get cleaned up and a lot to improve on, but it’s there.”
Under Gannon, Murray received a fresh start, a new infrastructure and a new scheme. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork, both hired in February 2023, have helped Murray be and play at ease.
“One [scheme] is more reliant on certain things, and the other one is more reliant on other things,” said Murray, who winked after.
It was a subtle nod to the most obvious differences in the two offenses: Kingsbury used Murray’s running as a method to get the offense moving but Petzing uses it as a complementary part of the scheme. Murray said facing Kingsbury on Sunday won’t affect him. He’s played against former coaches before. And it’s not like the two haven’t seen each other since Kingsbury was fired on Jan. 9, 2023. They run into each other “out and about,” Murray said.
Murray has shown an ownership of his role as the quarterback and a total understanding of the Cardinals’ scheme, tackle Kelvin Beachum said.
“He’s mastering this system and mastering this offense,” Beachum said. “And when you’re able to master this offense and put guys in the right position consistently enough, I feel that that is showing me that you’re taking the steps to be the person, the quarterback and the franchise that they paid you to do.”
He understands the nuances of Petzing’s scheme and put in extra work this offseason with his receivers, running backs and tight ends by throwing with them on weekends, taking teammates on trips around the country and organizing a weeklong trip to Los Angeles for the skill players before training camp. He’s not thinking this season, just reading and reacting. Murray said having Petzing, someone he is confident in and trusts, is “huge.”
Petzing sees Murray’s comfort through the quarterback’s operation from the huddle to the snap. Murray has a better command of the play clock, a result of breaking the huddle with enough time to go through his process at the line of scrimmage. As the Cardinals’ shift and motion around him, Murray is still able to check in and out of plays, while communicating at the line “at a really high level,” Petzing said.
According to Murray, once the ball is snapped, Petzing’s offense allows him to play “within the system and not have to do stuff off the wall to succeed.”
“Within this system that we have now I feel like there’s a lot of room to grow, and if I can just be myself and play the game. The sky’s the limit,” Murray said.
It’s all led to Murray being happier and “super” comfortable, he said Wednesday.
Murray has just 12 teammates who were either on the Cardinals when he was drafted or with him through the 2022 season, when Kingsbury was fired and Gannon was hired. And they’ve all seen the same thing from Murray.
“I think it’s probably the most I’ve seen him smile a long time,” Woolfork said. “I think it just comes with confidence and I guess like freeness. I believe he’s not trying to please anyone. He’s not trying to be somebody he’s not.”
Woolfork continued: “I would just say he’s more himself to everyone and I think that’s just the environment that he’s around right now. He’s not trying to say the right thing, trying to do the right thing, it is just be you, do what you do on a daily basis, continue to lead the way you lead. Just because you’re a square, I’m not going to try to put you in this circle shape.”
Linebacker Zaven Collins, who noticed a change in Murray once Gannon was hired, said it seems like Murray is always at the facility. Whenever Collins is there, he sees Murray. Whenever Collins asks Murray what he did, Murray tells him he went to the facility. In group chats, it’s not a surprise for Murray to tell his teammates he just got back from the facility.
“I think he’s found a lot of peace in being here,” Collins said.
Murray is happy, trusts his coaches and is having fun again. He has a different perspective on football, refreshing in a way, he said.
Everything is in place for Murray.
“I’m not trying to change him, nor do I want to change him,” Woolfork said. “He’s had a lot of success in his life, from Pop Warner all the way to the NFL. So, the formula is not broken. It’s not messed up. He has it in him. He’s done it in the NFL.
“I’m just trying to help him do it right now during the season and moving forward in the future.”