The Arizona Cardinals were 6-4 heading into their bye week this past season, looking like the playoffs could be a possibility if they finished the season out strong. With James Conner having already had several 100-yard games, and Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. being great options in the pass game, it seemed as though the Cardinals could get back to the postseason after having just one appearance in 2016.
However, some tough losses down the stretch to the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams knocked them out of postseason contention, meaning another letdown of a season in Arizona. As it is in the NFL, all the attention of another poor season goes to the quarterback, with the future of Kyler Murray being questioned in Arizona. Now, with the 2025 season slowly creeping up, the faith in Murray is starting to be lost.
In a recent 2025 post-NFL Draft quarterback rankings, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin listed Murray as the 23rd-best quarterback in the NFL, labeling him the worst quarterback in the NFC West. Additionally, Murray’s positioning put him below names like Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy, players who haven’t even been starters for a full season, with McCarthy missing the entirety of last season.
As for reasoning, Benjamin cited that Murray has “yet to prove he can be truly steady through the air,” despite him having his highest QBR and second-highest completion percentage last season. However, Murray’s 2022 and 2023 campaigns were lackluster to say the least, with injuries limiting him to 19 games combined.
Even though Murray is ranked toward the bottom half of NFL quarterbacks, that doesn’t mean he can’t change that narrative next season. On top of another year of development from former first-rounders Paris Johnson Jr. and Harrison Jr., the Cardinals added more pieces to their defense to help keep Murray on the field by adding pass rusher Josh Sweat and Michigan All-American Will Johnson at cornerback.
On the flip side, 2025 could also turn out to be a prove-it year for Murray, with the 2026 NFL Draft expected to have a good crop of quarterback talent and Murray’s contract taking up 17.34% of the team’s salary cap in 2026. Therefore, Murray has a chance to prove the doubters wrong in 2025 and prove why he was a first overall pick.
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