Is Kyler Murray The Most Underrated Player In Football?

For the first time since the 2021 NFL season, Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is entering a season healthy with a number one wide receiver he can target consistently.

Last season, Murray began the season on the sidelines due to him rehabbing a torn ACL that he suffered of December 2021. It may seem like a distant memory now, but at this time last year, the conversation surrounding Murray and the Cardinals was whether the quarterback had already played his last game for Arizona as with him injured, the team was deprived of talent and seemed like a shoo-in to be in position to draft USC quarterback, Caleb Williams.

Instead, the Cardinals ended up being a feisty group and Murray returned to the lineup in mid-November and showed he still has what it takes to be Arizona's franchise signal caller.

Murray combined for 13 touchdowns while going 3-5 in his eight starts including a game in Week 17 where the Cardinals went into Philadelphia and knocked the Eagles out of first place in the NFC East by upsetting Philly 35-31 in a game where Murray threw for three touchdowns.

Going into 2024, Murray is healthy, and the Cardinals have brought in or developed talent to support their quarterback such as tight end, Trey McBride and running back, James Conner is also one of the more underrated players at his position, and in April, Arizona drafted perhaps the most hyped up wide receiver prospect of the last decade in Ohio State wideout, Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick.

With the Cardinals now having a reliable supporting cast around Murray, I expect the quarterback to get back to the player he was during the 2021 and 2022 seasons as one of the league's most dynamic players.

We all know about Murray's elite dual-threat abilities as he can scramble with the best of them, but Murray's ability as a passer is what, in my opinion, separates him from most dual-threat quarterbacks. He possesses the 7th best completion percentage in NFL history at a rate of 66.6%, ahead of former MVP's Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady.

Source: Statmuse

Also, since entering the league in 2019, Murray has put up a career passer rating (considering a player's completions, yards, touchdowns, and interceptions) of 93.9%. The stat is measured on a scale from 0 to 158.3 so a 93.9 isn't exactly eye-popping, but it does rank higher than some of the game elite such as Josh Allen (92.2), and Matthew Stafford (90.9). Now, if we wanted to put it in a historical context, his rating is also than some all-timers such as Brett Farve (86.0), John Elway (79.9), and Joe Montana (92.3).

Despite these great numbers, much of the focus surrounding Murray has been on what he can't do as opposed to how good he has been when he is on the field. The Cardinals have not done any favors to Murray with the talent around him, especially with the offensive line where in his 65 career games, he has been sacked 149 times which is an average of nearly 30 times a year, at his size, that number needs to go down, especially when you take into account the extra hits he takes when he runs with the ball.

Over the last two drafts, the Cardinals front office has begun to put a nice core together upfront. In 2023, they selected tackle Paris Johnson Jr. at 6th overall, and in 2024, with the 71st pick, they took another tackle in Isaiah Adams. With more protection now in place, what fans across the league are most excited to see is the potential elite connection between Murray, and fourth overall pick in this years draft, Marvin Harrison Jr.

If Murray can stay healthy and the recent draft picks hit, I think will Murray to return into the conversation of at least one of the best quarterbacks in the NFC, if not the entire league. Murray is surrounded by the best talent he has played since 2021 when he led the Cardinals to the post-season, and I believe the Cardinals have all the makings of a team that could surprise a lot of people this season. If the offensive line can hold up while Harrison and McBride get better throughout the year, not only do I love the Cardinals over on wins currently listed at 6.5, but I would not be shocked if we see Arizona competing for a playoff berth near the season's end. Who knows, maybe even making the playoffs for the second time in the Murray era.