Ever since Kyler Murray was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the first overall pick in the 2019 draft, his leadership skills (or lack thereof) has been a constant topic of discussion.
Now embarking on his seventh NFL season as the team reported for training camp this week, it’s a topic again, especially after Murray led a group of offensive players to Los Angeles after official team activities ended in mid-June for the second consecutive year.
Tight end Trey McBride said, “The main goal of that was to get some work in, work out, go to the field, run some routes, do all that stuff. And ultimately just that camaraderie of being together for a week, playing around, playing ping pong. Whatever the heck we’re doing, we’re competing at every single thing and it’s just so much fun to be around those guys.
“And I think the closer we are, the more you’re gonna wanna play for one another, the more you’re gonna wanna give it your all for one another. And I think that’s something Kyler has done a great job of bringing everybody together to grow the offense and to grow as a team.”
Second-year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., coming off a solid but sometimes underwhelming rookie season, noted the important time he spent with Murray in the offseason.
“A lot of work, man, a lot of work,” he said. “Obviously, it’s something we need to do for the team to reach our goal, something that we gotta do better than we did last year. So we spent a lot of time all season probably on the field, but just off the field as well, just developing that relationship.”
When asked about the California trip, Harrison immediately began talking about leadership.
He said, “His leadership has gotten better every single year. Obviously, I’ve only been here for about a year, (but) for me I see the leader who he is. I know he kind of has his own perception of what a lot of people think of him. It’s just like when I got here, it was the total opposite. He’s just been such a great leader. He talks to all the guys, uplifts everybody. It really brings out the best in everybody.
“Like when it’s time to turn that switch on, it’s time to go fast and go hard. He’s going to be the first one to get everybody going. So obviously off the field as well, just bringing everybody together. He’s done a fantastic job.”
Head coach Jonathan Gannon has often said having Murray at quarterback was one of the positives of taking the Cardinals job, even though the quarterback was recovering from a 2022 torn ACL. Gannon has worked from Day 1 to get on the same page as Murray and work to bring out his best.
Asked where Murray has taken a big step as a leader, Gannon said, “Being probably a little more vocal. When things aren’t right, he’ll speak up. So the dominant trait in his personality; he has it and it has showed up more to me in the last year or so. He leads by example. He does everything right. And I would say I’ve seen him take a step with not just being connected with the offense, but with the entire team, which is cool.”
Stressing the importance of that, Gannon said, “He runs the show, so we go as he goes. It’s the ultimate team game. Guys look to him. They do.”
Gannon has shown himself to be an excellent communicator, so when the topic was about how much he pushed or worked on that facet with Murray, he said, “I have conversations with all players about everything. So, with him … everyone’s a little bit different. Everyone has their different styles. How I might say something to Trey McBride, he’s going to say it differently. That’s OK as long as we get the end goal in mind.
“But yeah, I have conversations with a lot of guys about that and him being one of them, being our quarterback. What he’s so good with is, if you make it black and white for him, he responds. So I kind of tell him, ‘This is what I’m looking for. This is what we need from you.’ And he responds.”
Gannon is pleased how the communication has grown in the 30 months they have been together.
“The speed at which we communicate is a little bit quicker,” he said. “The understanding and the trust is a little bit better just like all our players since I’ve been here. With the coaches, players, (general manager) Monti (Ossenfort), (owner) Michael (Bidwill), relationships mature over time and you can get to deeper levels quicker when you know somebody really well. I do believe that.
“So, it’s been cool to have that continuity with him for two and a half years now.”
Now, he and everyone hope it translates to more wins in Year 3.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Kyler Murray’s leadership continues to grow entering Year 7