Healthy Kyler ‘locked in’ after late start in 2023

TEMPE, Ariz. — Nine practices into OTAs, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray says he can already see the differences being in the second year of a new system.

According to Murray, that has led him to also see what’s ahead for a team that went 4-13 last year, but 3-4 after he returned in Week 10 from an ACL injury.

“I don’t put any limitation on what we can do,” Murray said Wednesday in his first public remarks this offseason.

Murray missed last offseason while he rehabilitated his injury and learned new schemes and a new front office. This offseason, he said, has been spent building on what was accomplished last season.

“Me being out there, everybody being in the system a whole ‘nother year, you can tell the difference out there,” he said. “Everybody’s playing faster, more comfortable. The rookies that we had last year, a great group, it allowed them to play faster because they’ve been in it. Got a lot of reps, got a lot of meaningful reps last year, and then the rookies that we just added are a good group so far too, so I’m excited.”

Unlike last year, when he watched practice from the sideline while he worked with a trainer or stood alongside quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork, Murray is fully embedded in practices and meetings. This has given him a chance to immerse himself in a scheme that he only started practicing in three weeks before his first game of last season. He said he has been trying to build momentum around this team and feels like “we’ve done that.”

Murray said he can already sense a level of excitement from his teammates.

“There’s definitely a juice around this team, a camaraderie about this team,” Murray said.

Reflecting on last season, Murray, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019, said he felt he “kind of got tossed into the fire” coming off an injury and wasn’t “in full form.” He said there were a “a lot of things” he wanted to work on this offseason but added that reps with his teammates are the most important at this stage.

“Not talking about going out there and throwing routes on air and stuff like that,” Murray said. “I’m just saying being on the field with them and seeing every possible scenario that we can see until we get to the season so that when we get there, we know what the hell to do and it’s second nature versus, oh, I’m out there thinking.”

He added: “I think when we get to that point where we’re just reacting and making plays going, it’s going to be a good thing.”

With another week left in the offseason program before about a five-week break ahead of training camp, Murray said he feels “really locked in” to what the Cardinals are doing. That’s a product of the confidence and understanding that Murray has built this offseason by learning where to go with the football no matter what.

“When you feel like that, man, the sky’s the limit,” Murray said. “I’ve played QB my whole life, but when you’re at that point, and I really can’t explain it to y’all, but it’s a good feeling.

“So, at that point it’s just going out there and executing, and building the trust, building the rapport with the receivers, obviously the o-line and everything like that. Yeah, I’m excited.”