Here's what Kyler Murray needs to do to keep Cardinals from drafting a QB
The Arizona Cardinals are projected to have a top-three pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which means that there's one big question they need to answer: who is going to play quarterback next season?
While the Cardinals have long been rumored to be targeting reigning USC quarterback Caleb Williams, ESPN Cardinals insider Josh Weinfuss says the team is committed to 26-year-old QB Kyler Murray, provided he’s fully healthy after returning from an ACL injury last year.
“It's important to note that the Cardinals see [Murray] as their long-term quarterback as of now and something would have to happen to change that,” Weinfuss said. “Winning, while important, will not the be the determining factor. Arizona wants to see consistency, improvement and production in this new scheme. If for whatever reason none of those are accomplished, and Murray doesn't mesh well with Jonathan Gannon's coaching staff once he gets back on the field, then Arizona might reevaluate whether he's the long-term answer. But short of that, he'll be their guy.”
Murray is making his first start this weekend against the Atlanta Falcons since tearing his ACL against the New England Patriots in Week 14 last year. He's practicing this week without an injury designation, and all signs point to him having no restrictions against the Falcons.
Murray was averaging 262 yards passing and 46 yards rushing per game while completing 66.4% of his passes with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions at the time of his injury. In his absence, Arizona has gotten little production out of Joshua Dobbs, who was traded to the Minnesota Vikings last week, and rookie Clayton Tune. The duo combined for 1,631 pass yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 1-8 record.
While Williams has had a rough couple of weeks, he’s still the projected favorite to be drafted first overall next April. His father has publicly stated that Williams could return to USC in 2024 if he doesn’t want to go to the team that holds the No. 1 overall pick. At the time of that statement, that team was slated to be the Cardinals.
If the Cardinals do end up going quarterback in the draft, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix could also be possibilities.
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