Cardinals Rookie Defends Kyler Murray: 'He's Incredible'

The Arizona Cardinals and their fans might have some uncertainty surrounding their franchise quarterback and future of the team, but rookie tight end Tip Reiman is anything but conflicted on those subjects.

On Tuesday, Reiman appeared on The Nate Brown Show on Fox Sports Rapid City. Reiman is a South Dakota native, and began his high school career at St. Thomas More high school in Rapid City.

It was a developmental year for the third-round draft pick. But when asked about his quarterback Kyler Murray, Reiman didn't hold back the praise.

“Yeah, he's incredible. He’s incredible. He's one of the quicker dudes that I've ever met, I'm sure you can already assume that. He's an incredible athlete, but he's got a mind… his reaction times, his ability to process information at a speed that I don't think people understand is wild.

“He goes. He's fast. Mentally as well as physically. He's a vet, he makes make vet moves, and it's really interesting to watch and be a part of, and see kind of how he moves," Reiman continued.

But it's not just the individual performances, or the on-field electricity. Reiman said Murray is a mentor to his teammates, and one of the driving forces behind the growth and development of a young and raw Cardinals roster.

“He's got our best interests in mind, and he's told us time and again, myself and other players, the best is yet to come, we're growing, we're growing," said Reiman, "He gives feedback in growth-oriented ways, not to tear us down, but to grow together, and to build all together. He’s a trustworthy guy and I appreciate him, and he's been a great resource to learn from."

And that growth was crucial for both Reiman and the Cardinals as a team in 2024. Though Arizona went just 8-9, it was a step in the right direction, doubling their previous win total during a multi-year rebuild.

Reiman himself played in all 17 games, but was limited to just 451 snaps. He wasn't used as much of a receiving threat, with just six catches for 37 yards, but that's understandable when Trey McBride is racking up 1,146 yards ahead of him.

But Reiman was an elite blocker in college, and that's what he did in his rookie season. Though he had some poor games, Reiman posted a PFF pass-blocking grade of 70 or above in nine of his 17 games. At 6-foot-4, 273 pounds, the rookie was a massive, yet exceptionally athletic force.

Reiman reflected on his rookie season, and the positive development that came from his limited action.

"Individually, my first season was full of growth. Two phrases I live by, the first one is tough, smart, dependable, that came from [coach] Brett Bielema at Illinois. I want to make sure that's a part of my everyday life.

"And then the second one is intentionality and consistency. And so this whole season, personally, was based on those two things. I think I embodied those things greatly. I played with toughness, I played smart, I was dependable on and off the field, I'm intentional and consistent with details… not wishy-washy or anything like that, or just going through the motions," Reiman said.

"So that's what I focused on, it's not more so a tangible thing it's more intangible things but you know when you see it, you know when you feel it."

And while the Cardinals might have had to sit on their couches and watch the Super Bowl from afar, Reiman said that things are beginning to change for Arizona, as a team, but also as a culture.

"As far as a team and the franchise go I saw us, I knew I was coming into [a rebuild], and I see new leaders, and I see a great environment in the locker room, and a lot of cool things popping up, you know especially through the course of the year, being tested as we were.

"The highs and the lows; we rode them both, so to be able to see both sides of that, see how we respond to the highs and the lows is a really good indication of how we're going to progress, and I think we're going to be in good standing as we continue in years forward," Reiman continued.

"Because we are resilient, and we're tough. And the two phrases I mentioned… I think we embody and continue to embody more and more you know as we get closer to the unit as we progress as a team."