Cardinals' Colt McCoy defends Kyler Murray amid dramatic offseason

On the same day the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo (h/t Jeremy Bergman) reported the Arizona Cardinals wanted quarterback Kyler Murray "to take a step forward in a number of areas," including "maturity, body language on the sideline, having a bigger voice with his teammates, and leadership." This story came after Murray famously scrubbed his social media accounts of any mention of the Cardinals and also unfollowed his employer. 

Much has happened since then. 

Erik Burkhardt, Murray's agent, released a lengthy statement on Feb. 28 that insisted the two-time Pro Bowl selection was committed to playing for the Cardinals but also deserved a lucrative extension. Murray, meanwhile, ultimately returned deleted posts to his social media pages and attempted to downplay any alleged drama last month. 

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said at the league's annual meetings in late March that he and Murray are "in a good place." Per Howard Balzer of All Cardinals, Arizona backup and journeyman signal-caller Colt McCoy went to bat for the club's QB1 while speaking with reporters during a Zoom media event.

"He’s just finished his third year in the NFL, I would say that his arrow is pointing up," McCoy responded when asked about Murray's leadership capabilities. "Rookie of the Year, he’s made two Pro Bowls, the guy’s extremely, extremely talented. I’m grateful to be able to work with him. I know how hard it was for me my first three years in the NFL, to handle all the things that come with being a franchise quarterback and being in the NFL. And I think Kyler’s handled it tremendously. And I think he’s just going to continue to get better and I’m thankful I get to be in the same room with him.

"He’s a super competitor. He wants to win. He works hard. And I think it kind of sets the tone for our whole team. And the good thing about here is we have a great mix of veteran guys and younger guys that (general manager Steve Keim) has put together and I think there’s a lot of respect through the whole locker room about who we have on this team. I don’t think the goals are confused at all. The goal is to go out there and win and we know that, so I think we’re all good."

Keim previously said he plans to pick up the fifth-year option attached to Murray's rookie contract, but the 24-year-old could still sign an extension with the organization later this summer.