Kyler Murray is wrong about preseason football.
I mean, Kyler Murray is right about preseason from my perspective but Kyler Murray is wrong about it as the starting quarterback of an NFL team.
By publicly, flatly dismissing the preseason Kyler is missing a valuable opportunity for setting a tone for a Cardinals team with little margin for error and a playoffs or bust set of expectations.
Think I’m overreacting or making a mountain out of a molehill?
Here’s what Tom Brady said at age 44 about preseason football last week before the Bucs exhibition opener:
And here’s what Tom Brady was doing on the sidelines of the 4th quarter of a preseason game with seven Super Bowl rings to his name:
Compare that to Kyler’s viral moment and you can see why I believe Kyler still has some professional maturing to do entering Year 3 of his NFL career.
All things are possible for the Cardinals this season and beyond with Kyler at quarterback. On the field, his athletic gifts put him in a position to do anything he wants. This season, he’s got the 8th best odds to win the NFL’ MVP according to DraftKings Sports Book. At this stage of his career, very few people question his abilities to play quarterback at a high level.
With all that talent and all those physical gifts comes an expectation as the team leader.
Every time he speaks, he is speaking for the entire organization and locker room while setting a tone. If he doesn’t care about preseason, why should any of the starters?
I’m not here to criticize Kyler Murray’s personality or leadership capabilities as others have done; leadership comes in all different forms.
I am here to encourage Kyler to follow TB12’s lead. Brady is a living, breathing legend. Kyler doesn’t have to hear about him from his dad or read about him on wikipedia, Brady’s still here doing his thing.
Every opportunity to get better should be taken seriously. Every chance to improve should be maximized.
The only person that can put a ceiling on Kyler Murray is Kyler Murray.