Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is under a lot of pressure to perform in 2025.
Without a strong season and without showing improvement this year, the Cardinals could decide to cut ties with the former No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2019 draft.
Regardless of what the future holds for Murray, a look back into the past shows drafting Murray with the top pick was probably the right move by the Cardinals.
Pro Football Focus published a 2019 redraft that left the top two picks unchanged in Murray and San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Nick Bosa.
One year after drafting quarterback Josh Rosen 10th overall in 2018, the Arizona Cardinals opted to move on and pick up Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the first pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. And it was a smart decision.
Murray has battled injuries throughout his career but has looked like a top-15 quarterback when healthy, earning at least an 82.0 PFF overall grade in his past three seasons where he’s played 1,000 snaps. A Defensive Player of the Year winner in Nick Bosa was certainly tempting here, but the Cardinals keep their franchise quarterback.
Kyler Murray era in the desert
Murray has led the Cardinals to one playoff appearance in his six seasons as the starter.
He could be running out of rope to make the jump to the next level before the team decides to move in another direction at the quarterback position.
For now, fans can take solace in the idea that they most likely made the right decision in the 2019 NFL Draft.