Cardinals' Kliff Kingsbury banking on Kyler Murray to save his job is fool’s gold

There is no doubt that Murray is a talented player. It’s why the franchise invested $230 million for five more seasons in him. Yet, his numbers this season haven’t quite been what you would expect from a player being paid at an elite level. That’s not to say he has been bad, but in a league where 300-yard games are much easier to come by, the two-time Pro Bowler has managed to hit the mark just once this season. It might explain why the team has the record they do.

Yes, the running game has not offered much. And DeAndre Hopkins has been suspended all year. But there are still enough weapons like Marquise Daniels and Zach Ertz to where this offense should not have only managed a miserable nine points to the Seahawks last week. A team with one of the worst defenses in the NFL so far.

Murray deserves credit for what he has been able to do in racking up an extra 200 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, but a 6-4 TD to interception ratio is unbecoming of a QB that is expected to be one of the best in the sport.

Kingbury’s future as head coach will be dictated by the arm and legs of Kyler Murray. Based on how this season has gone, and the fact that this is the same player that needed a clause in his contract to do the necessary amount of preparation for games, Kingbury should be ready to get moving company quotes in the next few weeks.

The Cardinals received terrible news this week when it was revealed that top receiver Marquise Brown would be out indefinitely with a foot injury. The news is a gut shot to a reeling team and very well could have spelled doom for Kingsbury. However, just in time to maybe save the offense and the head coach’s job, DeAndre Hopkins will be back in uniform this week after serving his six-game drug suspension.

It is no coincidence that the Kingsbury/Murray era in Cardinals history had its two best seasons when the Houston Texans great joined the team. Even at 30 years old and after nine seasons in the league, the three-time All-Pro is a game-changer. He returns just in time healthy and ready to give this meandering offense the boost it needs just by his talented presence.

If the Cardinals can somehow pull out a win tonight versus a solid Saints team and defense, it may be a sign that Hopkins arrived just in time to help save the Arizona season and his coach’s job.