Report: Cardinals' Jonathan Gannon inherited difficult job due to Kyler Murray

Polarizing Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is once again the subject of an unflattering story this winter. 

NFL reporter Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post wrote Friday that "it’s a popular opinion" among individuals at the NFL combine that Jonathan Gannon of the Cardinals "inherited the most difficult job of the five head coaches hired this offseason." 

Dunleavy said that "most of the doubt is linked to quarterback Kyler Murray for three reasons." 

The first is the five-year contract extension reportedly worth $230.5 million with $160M guaranteed that Murray and the Cardinals signed last summer. Second is the fact that Murray is coming off ACL surgery that included some meniscus repair he had in early January which could keep him sidelined through the first half of the 2023 season. 

Dunleavy added that "one rival coach" told him that the previous Arizona coaching staff "felt it had a hard time getting through to (Murray) about things that would make his job easier on the field and things that would make him more like 'one of the guys' with his teammates." 

Interestingly, Dunleavy offered this information less than two months after it was reported that an unnamed Cardinals veteran believes the franchise "created a monster" by paying Murray last year. 

For what it is worth, Gannon has repeatedly spoken highly of Murray and even gone so far as to say that the two-time Pro Bowl selection is one reason he accepted the Arizona job. It was previously said that some coaching candidates didn't want their futures tied to Murray and his extension. 

All Murray can do to silence such chatter throughout the spring and summer months is work as hard as possible to recover from the injury he suffered back on Dec. 12. 

ESPN's Josh Weinfuss noted on Feb. 23 that Gannon told reporters he spotted the signal-caller rehabbing his right knee at the Cardinals' facility at around 9 p.m. local time on a weeknight.