The Arizona Cardinals have been an interesting team in 2024.
In the second season under Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals have taken significant leaps from last year, where they finished with a (4-13) record.
It’s been abundantly clear Gannon and the Cardinals brass continue to build around QB Kyler Murray, who they signed to a 5-year extension worth more than $230 million in the 2022 offseason.
Murray has battled injuries which has been a concern — but this season especially — he’s been fully healthy and appeared to get the confidence and rhythm back he had early in his career. Murray was excellent during his first three NFL seasons, finishing 2019, 2020 and 2021 with over 3,700 pass yards, more than 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions or less in three-consecutive years.
He won NFL Rookie of the Year in 2019 and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2020 and 2021
But a torn ACL in November of 2022 was a massive setback. His absence led to the Cardinals losing and firing former head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Eventually Murray returned in 2023 after missing the first nine games. It was his first time playing under the Gannon regime, and he gave the team an instant spark.
In the nine games without Murray last season, the Cardinals offense ranked 26th, averaging 16.8 points, 289.7 yards per game, and a 1–8 record. In eight games with Murray, the offense averaged 22.4 points, 362.8 yards per game, and was ranked ninth in the league.
So far in 2024, Murray has helped lead the Arizona Cardinals to a (7-7) record and a chance to make the playoffs at this point. He’s looked much more like the player he did early in his career, with 3,086 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 8 interceptions with a QB rating of 93.7. He’s added another 455 rushing yards and four touchdowns with his legs, bringing the dual-threat ability defenses dread back into his arsenal.
While it hasn’t been perfect, Murray has at least shown he can continue to play at a high level. The additions of young pass-catchers like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride, along with James Conner in the backfield, make it obvious why the Cardinals are building an offense that can be elite in the near future.
They are making strides on defense too.
But even with his success so far this season, Murray took to social media earlier this week and made a promise he can’t guarantee he will fulfill.
McBride, who is in his third NFL season with Arizona, has emerged as one of the top tight ends in the game. He’s having his best NFL season so far with 89 receptions for 938 yards, averaging 10.5 yards per catch.
The only outlier? McBride has yet to find the end zone this season, which almost feels impossible.
Earlier this week Murray took to social media essentially guaranteeing he will get McBride a touchdown this season.
“85 will touch the endzone soon, I promise,” Murray wrote on his Instagram followed with the hashtags #nfl #treymcbride and #brother.
While it’s safe to say the Arizona Cardinals QB will try his absolute best to get McBride a TD this season — which the word “soon” implies — there’s no guarantee the offensive duo will make it happen in 2024. And Murray has earned the full respect of the team at this point, so he can’t be breaking promises.
