“The floor could fall out of this thing” - NFL analyst claims Cardinals are stumbling into same trap with Kyler Murray that Texans did with Deshaun Watson
After months of tense negotiations, Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals reached an agreement that ties down the quarterback for the next five seasons. With the potentially $230 million deal done, Arizona fans let out a collective sigh of relief. However, one NFL analyst sees this as a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire.
On The Athletic Football Show, NFL analyst Robert Mays claimed that the team had dug a hole that could sink them in the next couple of years. Mays likened the situation to the one the Houston Texans went through with Deshaun Watson around the turn of the decade.
Mays said:
"So you're chasing the big plays, you're investing in the big plays, but the underlying aspects of the organization feel like they're rotting a little bit. It just feels like the floor could fall out of this thing. In two years, this could be a $50 million quarterback, and nothing else."
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He added that getting an expensive quarterback like Murray doesn't automatically make a team successful.
"It's where the Texans were near the end of the Deshaun Watson time, in the end of the Bill O'Brien era, where you have this quarterback that was worth investing in, that was worth betting on, because he's that level of player and the alternatives are not attractive. But everything else about the roster is in tatters."
Mays went on to predict a nosedive in wins in the coming years:
"And then you're sitting there with a guy you've invested in, and not much else. And that's kind of what it feels like is going to happen, it kind of feels like they're on that trajectory, where you're right now, I can understand them pushing to be a Wild Card team. You know it with the guys that they've invested in and some of the players on that team.
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Top rated QBs in Madden NFL 23:
Tom Brady: 97
Aaron Rodgers: 96
Patrick Mahomes: 95
Josh Allen: 92
Joe Burrow: 90
Dak Prescott: 89
Justin Herbert: 88
Russell Wilson: 87
Lamar Jackson: 87
Matthew Stafford: 85
Kyler Murray: 84
Deshaun Watson: 84
Derek Carr: 83
Ryan Tannehill: 83
Lastly, he pointed out the lack of young talent on the team, saying they don't have quality youngsters to take over for the older stars down the line.
"But those guys are not getting any younger and to me, there are no ascending players to make up for whatever aging factor or whatever fall off you're going to have from those guys that you've traded or signed [with the] JJ Watts and the Hopkinses. So that's my question. What is this team two years from now? And I still don't have a good answer."
Kyler Murray's NFL career so far
Murray has a new deal worth $230 million, but how did he get it? It started with his selection by the Arizona Cardinals, who picked him first overall in 2019. In his rookie year, Murray went 5-10-1, throwing for 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
In Murray's second season, his completion percentage jumped from 64.4 to 67.2%. On top of that, he threw for 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Murray's team also jumped to an 8-8 record.
In 2021, he had his best season, going 9-5 while completing more than 69% of his passes. In total, Murray threw for 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
The Cardinals also made the playoffs for the first time in the quarterback's career. While the improvements have been steady for the quarterback, many questioned the team's inability to finish strong.
At this point, the team's struggles in the second half of the season have become common knowledge. But will a richer quarterback translate into a successful December for Arizona? Only time will tell.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit The Athletic Football Show and H/T Sportskeeda.