Cardinals' Kyler Murray responds to criticisms about work ethic

NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated revealed earlier this week that "there’s a ton of excitement" within the Arizona Cardinals regarding quarterback Kyler Murray heading into his sixth pro season.

As Breer shared on Monday, Murray recently addressed criticisms that have hovered over him since he signed a five-year contract extension reportedly worth $230.5M with $160M guaranteed two summers ago.

"For me to be where I am and do the things that I’ve done, not only in this sport, but in other sports, no one’s done it," Murray explained. "For people to question whether I love this s--- or how serious I take it, it’s impossible to be around that vibe, half-a----- my job. Does it bother me? Of course. Anybody who takes this s--- serious, of course it’s going to bother you, especially when you’re losing."

Specifically, questions about Murray's dedication to winning at the highest level arose after it was learned his extension included a so-called "independent study" clause that reportedly was later removed. Shortly after Murray suffered a serious knee injury in December 2022, one anonymous player with the Cardinals that winter said that "it was like they created a monster" when the club gave the first pick of the 2019 draft his massive deal.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing are among individuals within the Cardinals who have repeatedly praised Murray for the way he attacked his rehab and returned to the lineup last fall. The 26-year-old sounds eager to silence all remaining critics beginning in September.

"I know what it feels like to be great," Murray insisted. "I know what it feels like to have the inspiration and the feel of getting to where you want to go. It’s all the confidence in [general manager] Monti [Ossenfort] and [Gannon], the guys that they’re bringing in. The guys that they continue to bring in love the game and share the same competitiveness that I have. If they don’t, they probably won’t be here too much longer."

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Cardinals at +300 odds to make the playoffs for the upcoming season. If Arizona endures a third-straight losing campaign, whispers about the club possibly attempting to escape Murray's contract will only grow louder leading up to next year's draft.