Kyler Murray refused to play at end of Cardinals' loss?

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) walks off the field after losing 34-11 against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC wild-card playoff game. Michael Chow-Arizona Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Kyler Murray refused to play toward end of Cardinals' wild-card loss?

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 2/13/22

Kyler Murray sent a fairly clear message earlier this week that he is unhappy with the Arizona Cardinals, and it sounds like the feeling may be mutual.

Murray recently deleted all references to the Cardinals from his social media pages. The team then appeared to downplay the situation with its own not-so-subtle response on Instagram. There is clearly some tension between the two sides, however.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported on Sunday that people with the Cardinals were unhappy when Murray pulled himself late in the team’s wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Murray, who was banged up, benched himself for the final minute. Backup Colt McCoy encouraged Murray to "finish" the game despite the 34-11 blowout, but Murray refused. You can hear more at around the 35-second mark below:

The @NFLGameDay Notebook with @MikeGarafolo and @TomPelissero: A look into #Bengals QB Joe Burrow's comeback; How the #AZCardinals want stronger leadership from Kyler Murray — with an example why; Who is in the QB market this offseason? pic.twitter.com/0rZSzhbuAG

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 13, 2022

Garafolo also said the Cardinals want Murray to “take a step forward in a number of areas,” including with his leadership and body language on the sideline.

Each side seems to be pointing the finger, as a separate report on Sunday claimed Murray is not pleased with the way he has been scapegoated by the Cardinals.

Murray threw for 3,787 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his third NFL season. He is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but the Cardinals have him under team control for two more years. The situation is certainly worth monitoring.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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