It took just two seasons for Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes to break out. With his rookie year now out of the way, Kyler Murray is zeroing in on the chance to do the same.
Kliff Kingsbury has been adamant since drafting Murray that the Arizona Cardinals will build around his quarterback's strengths. Murray feels this approach could lead to a big leap in Year 2, similar to how it did for his contemporaries.
"I think their offenses are very quarterback friendly; I think we have a very quarterback-friendly offense," Murray said, per team reporter Kyle Odegard. "And as far as the elite status goes, I don't play to be mediocre. I think that's a deal that can be obtained. So we'll see next year."
Unlike Jackson and Mahomes, both of whom have reached incredible heights after navigating the tricky waters of their first seasons, Murray entered Year 1 as the head honcho of the offense.
In his 16 starts, Murray racked up 3,722 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading the Arizona Cardinals to a 5-10-1 record and earning consideration for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Given the strong push from Raiders running back Josh Jacobs for OROY, though, there's a chance Murray could be bypassed for that honor at Saturday's NFL Honors ceremony, like Jackson in 2019 and Mahomes the year before.
Missing out on the award has worked out pretty well for both Jackson, the soon-to-be crowned MVP, and reigning MVP Mahomes, who will be playing in a pretty big game on Sunday night.
Using those exciting, dual-threat players as examples are big shoes to fill but, make no mistake about it, Murray's sophomore year has a chance to also be one for the books.
