The Arizona Cardinals enter a new era under general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon. But the biggest question mark on the horizon in the desert remains the development of Kyler Murray.
While the new brass has consistently backed the highly paid quarterback, they didn't draft or hand him a massive contract extension. The dichotomy invites further questions about whether Murray can truly lead the Cardinals out of the wilderness.
Offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum, who helped protect the quarterback the past three seasons in Arizona, had a blunt assessment of what the two-time Pro Bowl QB needs to do to continue his development.
"Grow up. Be a man and grow up," he told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM on Wednesday.
Questions about Murray's maturity aren't new. After he signed a contract extension last summer, word leaked that the deal included a study clause, intimating the QB wasn't the most diligent preparer (the clause was later taken out). Yet it's different hearing those quotes from someone who has been in the locker room, not a hot-take host.
"It's not a completed process," Beachum added. "I didn't say he lacks leadership, I just think he needs to grow up a little bit. I think if he has the ability and willingness to grow up, he's going to be just fine.
"They paid him for a reason, they paid him because of his talent. He has the ability to lead. When you're in that position, we need you to lead more. You're the face of the franchise ... you have to lead in every single capacity."
Murray, coming off an ACL tear, has a host of hurdles to overcome in the months ahead, from rehab to learning a new offense to rebuilding the trust of the locker room.
"Kyler is his own individual, he's his own person, he beats to his own drum, which has made him what he is today," Beachum said. "But, at the end of the day, you have to be able to lead an entire organization, you've got to lead a team."
The 33-year-old Beachum, the No. 55 available player on Gregg Rosenthal's Top 101, is set to be a free agent next week.
