Kenneth Murray was the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Los Angeles Chargers. Coming out of Oklahoma, Murray was a great athlete who used his speed to make sideline-to-sideline tackles, and his burst allowed him to make more plays than the average linebacker.
Murray had a promising rookie year in 2020 but was limited in his potential due to the absence of organized team activities and minicamps due to COVID-19. After his rookie year, Murray had shoulder surgery that kept him from the team's off-season plans.
Murray then suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of 5 games in 2021 and underwent ankle surgery to fix the problem. He missed the minicamp and organized team activities for the third year in a row.
Instead of letting these moments bring him down, he took the opportunity to find himself.
“It really turned me into a monster,” Murray said. “It was some peaks, it was some valleys, and then I went in there and I really found myself. I can come out now, and I love myself even more.”
(via Daniel Popper, The Athletic)
Murray was ready to attend his first full offseason with the Chargers, healthy and ready to roll. He has that belief in himself, his teammates, and the coaches.
“This is really going to be the year, I think, he can break out,” defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley said.
(via Daniel Popper, The Athletic)
The breakout year not happening yet is the main reason the team declined his fifth-year option in May, so the looming free agent Murray is ready to prove to everyone that he can be the leader the team has wanted him to be.
With a new linebackers coach in Jeff Howard, the team has been pushing on Howard and Murray to build a relationship and help each other find success on the field.
With a solid offseason so far, Murray is ready to take his newfound mindset and help the Chargers compete for the AFC West division.
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