The Kyler Murray experience began in earnest on Friday afternoon, as the Arizona Cardinals opened rookie minicamp with their No. 1 overall pick signed and in shorts.
One day after inking a fully guaranteed $35.1 million rookie deal, Murray took the field with his fellow Cardinals rookies, stretched on live television and participated in drills.
So far, so good from Arizona's franchise quarterback. Or at least so says the head coach who drafted him.
"Not bad," Cards coach Kliff Kingsbury said of Murray's on-field debut. "Some familiarity with the system helps. He can really throw it. He's got a presence about himself. I liked how he operated."
"It was great" to work with Kingsbury on Friday, Murray told reporters, sporting two chains, a headband and a sleeveless practice jersey. "Obviously, it's only been day one, but I can already feel the rhythm going. Hopefully we can keep this thing going and do something good, do something great."
An offensive guru-slash-QB whisperer as a college coach, Kingsbury will be tasked with easing Murray's transition to the pros, which includes priming the 5-foot-10-ish signal-caller to throw easily over taller defenders. The coach and QB, tied at the hip, were seen on NFL Network working on tossing over oncoming pass rushers.
That adjustment, as with most others at the NFL level, won't faze Murray, Kingsbury told reporters.
"He's been born and bred to do this. I've said it all along," Kingsbury said Friday. "That's his mentality. That's what he's always expected to do and be. So he's kind of living it out right now. It might affect other people, but it doesn't seem to affect him."
Murray added: "It was good to finally touch the field again. A lot of this process has been just a lot of talk and evaluation. To actually play some football again and get out here with the guys and do what you love, it's fun."
It had been so long since Murray hit a football field that the QB told reporters his feet hurt after practice because "the cleats were pretty new."
Murray will have two more days this weekend, and then four more months, to break them in before practices give way to games.
