Perhaps the “Baby Yoda” comparisons to Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray go beyond him imitating the fictional character’s pose.
While Yoda imparted wisdom upon characters like Luke Skywalker, the former Oklahoma standout shows football wisdom on the field.
He continues to prove why the Cardinals chose him first overall in the 2019 draft and had him take over from Josh Rosen.
Murray finished his rookie season with 3,722 yards and 20 touchdowns.
He had five 300-yard passing games and completed 64.4 percent of his passes during his debut year.
However, his mobility made him a potent dual-threat quarterback as he rushed for 544 yards and four touchdowns.
Murray finished with a season-high 93 rushing yards against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5 of that season.
Despite his accomplishments, Arizona finished with a 5-10-1 record during his maiden campaign.
The 48 sacks against him might be a massive reason for the Cardinals’ demise.
He bounced back in 2020 by finishing with 3,971 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Likewise, the Cardinals offensive line did a better job maintaining the pocket after allowing just 27 sacks on Murray.
He only had three 300-yard passing games last year but got his first 400-yard game in a 33-26 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Murray also upgraded his running game by collecting 819 yards and 11 touchdowns.
But for all the improvements he manifested, the Cardinals extended their playoff drought to five seasons.
Arizona finished the year with an 8-8 record after starting the season at 5-3, and Murray threw 12 interceptions.
Those heartbreaks made the young quarterback better and tougher because the best is yet to come.
The Cardinals hopeful need not wait long for a postseason berth because Murray is blasting away the competition from the get-go.
MVP: Murray Valuable Player
The quarterback that was once deemed as short for NFL standards continues to grow his game each year.
His comfort level on the field is high, and experts have him as an early favorite to win Most Valuable Player honors.
Murray’s heads-up football helped the Cardinals dominate Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans during opening weekend, 38-13.
While his longest pass went for just 38 yards, he shredded the Titans defense for four touchdowns and 289 yards.
Murray added one rushing touchdown and 20 yards on the ground to finish with a 120.9 passer rating.
If the Cardinals had some cushion in their win over Tennessee, they needed Murray’s every point against the Minnesota Vikings.
Greg Joseph‘s missed field goal from 37 yards preserved Arizona’s 34-33 win to remain undefeated after two games.
Murray proved that when the going gets tough, the tough get going by completing 80.5 percent of his passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns.
The game’s best highlight is Murray’s 77-yard touchdown pass to Rondale Moore while scrambling out of the pocket to avoid the Vikings pass rush.
The third-year quarterback added another rushing touchdown.
Having a training camp did help Murray develop chemistry with his skill players like Moore, Christian Kirk, DeAndre Hopkins, and Chase Edmonds.
While he dazzles the crowd every week with out-of-this-world plays, the Cardinals game is far from perfect after two games.
Murray already has three interceptions under his belt, and the Cardinals offensive line allowed five sacks on him.
Polishing those dull areas will sustain Arizona’s attack and make their playoff hopes realistic.
If that’s the case, it’s scary to think that Murray is just getting started, and the best is yet to come.
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