When the Arizona Cardinals acquired three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz from the Philadelphia Eagles last October, they had their best offense in years. They had a complete arsenal of three wide receivers, a Pro Bowl running back, a solid offensive line and then a great tight end.
One of the reasons Ertz loved the idea of coming to Arizona was their quarterback, Kyler Murray. At the time, he was the leading MVP candidate and was playing elite football. Ertz also saw Murray have one of his better games of the 2020 season when the Eagles traveled to the desert.
Appearing on the Dave Pasch podcast, Ertz reiterated his faith in his quarterback’s ability. Pasch asked how Murray was similar and/or different to the quarterbacks Ertz has played with in the past.
“Kyler is the most talented player I’ve ever been around, period,” he said. “There is nothing he cannot do on a football field. He can be like Lamar Jackson and take off for 100-plus yards a game or, in my opinion, he can sit in the pocket and not even worry about his legs.”
One of the most encouraging aspects to Murray’s play in year three was his improvement in the passing game, particularly in the middle of the field. For the first few months, his running ability was what it should be – a luxury.
That’s exactly how Ertz described Murray’s game from last season.
“In his ideal situation, he doesn’t leave the pocket,” he said. “For me, as a pass catcher, I love playing with a quarterback like that. He just wants to play on time, in rhythm and he wants to get the ball out of his hands and to his guys.
“But he knows that he has the luxury if the play is breaking down, he can take off. For me, Kyler is the most talented player I’ve ever been around.”
He did mention Andrew Luck, his college quarterback, to be the best pure quarterback he’s ever been around in his experience, but mentioned Kyler has the potential to get to that point. Luck, who retired extraordinarily early a few seasons ago, was one of the game’s best.
The Cardinals signed Zach Ertz to a three-year extension after he tied the franchise’s record for receptions by a tight end in only 11 games. He did not play with the team until week seven.
It’s safe to say that record is in huge danger of being broken again.
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