TEMPE — There has been no shortage of Kyler Murray talk throughout the offseason.
Whether it’s reliving his lackluster showing in the NFC Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams, his ongoing contract extension saga or his brief OTAs appearance, the quarterback has had little trouble hanging in the headlines.
But when it comes down to it, Murray makes this team better.
If you’re in the camp that thinks otherwise, Cardinals starting left tackle D.J. Humphries has some killer oceanfront property in Tempe to sell you.
“(He gives us a chance),” Humphries said Monday. “You watched those games the year before he came. I say that and his rookie year was rough as well but we went into those games like, ‘They got to show us before we leave here that they are better than us.’ We didn’t perceive it because we knew what we had in the backfield. We knew when we got No. 1 back there we got a chance.
For those questioning Kyler Murray as the #AZCardinals long-term solution at QB, D.J. Humphries says lay off the day drinking. pic.twitter.com/tlJ7jTtFz9
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) June 6, 2022
“I’ll say it again, if you think that he is not our future, you need to slow down on your drinking in the day time. I know Scottsdale’s big on Sunday funday but you got to dial it back a little bit.”
Since Murray’s arrival to the desert, the Cardinals have seen their winning percentage increase year over year, highlighted by last season’s 11-6 record and postseason berth.
During the 11-win season, Murray completed a career high 69.2% of his passes for 3,787 yards and 24 touchdowns to 10 interceptions on his way to his second straight Pro Bowl. He also ran the rock 88 times for 423 yards and five scores.
Now entering his fourth season on a rookie deal that will pay him around $5.5 million, Murray is looking to cash in on a new deal before playing a game in 2022.
“I just see it all as a part of business,” Humphries said. “Certain things have to go a certain way for both parties to be happy. They’ll figure it out. I stay out of stuff like that. I don’t want nobody in my business when I’m talking about stuff.
“I support my guy all the way, that’s my quarterback. … If you think Kyler’s not our future, you are a plum fool. There’s no question of that. If you’ve been in this building and seen us play, when one goes, that’s what it looks like, so there’s no question of that.”
As for Humphries, the lineman doesn’t sound too concerned when it comes to his future in the Valley.
“Left tackles don’t grow on trees, baby. You know that,” he said.