Offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum caused a bit of a ruckus earlier this offseason when he was the latest to call into question Kyler Murray's maturity, noting that the quarterback needed to "grow up."
Amid a tumultuous offseason for the Arizona Cardinals, Beachum underscored Friday on NFL Total Access that there's no animosity between him and his franchise QB.
"There is no big deal," Beachum said after NFL Access' Mike Yam asked him how important it was to clear the air between him and his QB. "I think we're grown men in an NFL locker room. I don't think there's any hard feelings that comes from this. I would expect that he would hold me accountable if I wasn't doing my job. So, I think it's grown men that have to have grown-men conversations. That's part of this game, that's part of playing in the National Football League."
Beachum's played 11 seasons in the NFL and is headed into his fourth with the Cards after re-signing with the club in free agency. Provided Murray returns to play at least a portion of the 2023 campaign, it will be their fourth season together. Following the 2022 season, Beachum told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM that Murray needed to "be a man and grow up."
It furthered a narrative of concern over Murray's ability to lead the Cardinals after he inked a contract extension in the summer of 2022 and reports surfaced that the deal included a study clause. Said clause intimated Murray was not the most zealous when it came to game prep. The clause was later taken out, but for some it would seem the concerns regarding Murray's preparation remain. This offseason, reports suggest Murray has been dogged in rehabbing his ACL.
There is a likelihood Murray will not be ready for the start of the 2023 season, which would delay his and Beachum's on-field reunion. From Beachum's point of view, there's nothing that needs to be mended off the field, however.
Beachum similarly downplayed some other strife that's lingered this offseason for the Cardinals. Trade talk has swirled concerning Arizona wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and safety Budda Baker. Two of the best at their positions in the league, Baker and Hopkins' potential exits from Arizona has been a hot topic, but Beachum's hardly fired up about it. It's the springtime, after all, and he's not fretting until it's a bit closer to the fall.
"The thing is, I don't care about any of those things until we step into the field in September," he said. "So, everything that happens in the offseason is the offseason. That's what it is. Everybody has an opportunity to go their way, go do what they want to do. And when we report to training camp in late July, that's when the people that are gonna be there in late July really commit to wanting to be together with one another. Then when we got onto the field in early September, that's when it matters. So all this other stuff that's happening in April, May and June, I really don't put too much stock into it, and [I] really focus on what actually happens when we get together and report to training camp."
By all accounts, new general manager Monti Ossenfort cooled talk about Hopkins leaving during the 2023 NFL Draft, and there's been little to report on Baker moving on.
Regardless, Beachum is letting things play out until camp rolls around and all the grown men get back to talking and working.
