TEMPE, Ariz. — Kyler Murray knows time is fleeting.
He might be just 27 years old and coming off his sixth NFL season, but the Arizona Cardinals‘ franchise quarterback can already feel the pressure that comes with missing the playoffs for the fifth time in his career.
“For sure,” Murray said when asked if each season is starting to feel more important. “I’m going into Year 7 this season, which is insane. I’m still young, but I’ve been in the playoffs once. I feel like that’s not what I’m used to, but I’m trying to change that narrative. I’m trying to change the culture around this place.
“I believe in what we’re doing. I believe that’s where we’re headed.”
The playoffs have become the shadow Murray is chasing. The Cardinals sat atop the NFC West between Weeks 9 and 11 with a real chance of making the playoffs. But they stumbled down the stretch, losing to the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks twice in three straight weeks. By the time the third loss was in the books in Week 14, the Cardinals were sitting tied for last in the division, and their playoff hopes were dim.
Through it all, Murray turned in the second-best season of his career, completing 68.8% of his passes for 3,851 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
“Thought it was a solid year,” he said. “It wasn’t what I wanted. No, it wasn’t what I wanted.”
His goal is to win Super Bowls in Arizona. But to get there, he first needs to make it back to the postseason. In the 2021 playoffs, the Los Angeles Rams routed the Cardinals 34-11 in a wild-card game.
Losing isn’t a feeling that Murray was accustomed to before his pro career, but it’s become his reality in the NFL. After going undefeated in high school and 24-5 in college, Murray is 36-45-1 in the league.
“I don’t want to get used to it every year,” Murray said. “It’s frustrating, it’s frustrating. You put so much into it to not have a chance to win at all. It’s tough.”
This season, Murray was more reflective and open to explaining his feelings. He is at a point in his career where he is leaning on his experience.
“I took losses super hard,” he said. “It’s Year 6 for me, but growing up there wasn’t a lot of losing. Getting into the league and dealing with failure, I took it super hard. I think it was kind of a detriment.
“Being able to move on and you don’t want to learn how to lose, but at the end of the day you kind of have to learn how to deal with those things and continue to play the game at a high level. I guess you could say that’s maturity and age.”
On the field, Murray has grown and has a better understanding of what defenses are trying to do to him. He’s evaluating defensives packages before the snap and reading coverages based on who’s on the field.
“There are a lot of things that I can eliminate pre-snap and be able to play faster,” Murray said. “Which is essentially where you want to be as a quarterback because less thinking and playing faster usually ends in better results.”
Despite Arizona’s 8-9 record this season, Murray felt like he was playing his best football in a while. In offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s second season, Murray felt the game slow down.
Coach Jonathan Gannon felt Murray was an “excellent” fit in Petzing’s offense this year, Murray’s first full season in it after returning from a right ACL injury in Week 10 of the 2023 season.
“I think it’s tailor-fitted for him,” Gannon said. “It’s one of the reasons I hired Drew. I knew that was the guy I wanted to play with, and I wanted to make sure that the system fit, in my mind, what his skill set was and is and will grow and continue to develop into.”
Not wanting to get too far away from football, Murray took about a week off after the season before working out again. Dissecting Year 6 began weeks before the regular season was over, and he was blunt in his assessment: “The goal didn’t get reached, which means I don’t think we played well enough.”
For the Cardinals to reach that goal, Gannon said it’ll be Murray that takes them there. Consistent success has eluded them, but the 2019 No. 1 pick, Heisman Trophy recipient and Pro Bowler is ready to start winning.
“He is a top-level franchise quarterback, and he’s played like that,” Gannon said. “He’s shown that.”
