Ex-Cardinals QB: Kyler Murray Must Self-Analyze This Offseason, Fix Deficiencies
A former Cardinals quarterback believes Kyler Murray has reached a defining offseason.
The two-time Pro Bowler is likely headed out of Arizona within the next couple months, either by trade or release, and Shaun King says Murray must self-analyze with a critical eye to rejuvenate his career.
“Kyler’s got to decide, do I want to be a great NFL quarterback?” said King, a six-year NFL veteran who played for the Cardinals in 2004. “Or, ‘Hey, I got paid and I’m pretty popular in my circles; I can live the rest of my life, not have to work and be Gucci.’ He can play five or six years like that being a backup.
“But if he’s willing to really self-analyze, he’ll say, ‘You know what, I don’t want to leave the game with my name not having the right legacy. I’m really going to go and grind. I’m going to fix some things. Throw the ball in rhythm from the pocket on a consistent basis. Work on ball location. Work on body language.’”
King said it’s important for Murray to be more charismatic as the leader of the team.
“Some of the stuff with Kyler isn’t even physical,” King said. “It’s like he’s that friend that’s always grumpy. Like, ‘Ahh, you really want to invite him? He’s 50-50 on being in a mood or not. And that’s your quarterback being like that. So I think there is some stuff that’s fixable, if he wants it fixed.”
Murray had a hot start to his career, winning Rookie of the Year, making two Pro Bowls and securing a playoff berth after three seasons. But King said ex-coach Kliff Kingsbury was too easy on Murray in those days and allowed some bad habits to form.
“Kyler Murray would probably be a Pro Bowl quarterback if he was drafted by a regime that would have held him accountable,” King said. “Like right from the beginning. Kliff was trying to figure it out. It was his first NFL job, and he’s got this enigmatic but talented quarterback who is a little quirky personality-wise. He needed to be coached extremely hard right from the beginning. It’s my way or the highway. You’re going to do it like this or your ass is coming over here and sitting with me.
“He had to break some bad habits to have sustainability in this league, and because he wasn’t held accountable to the level I think he should have been, he ended up having a little success utilizing those bad habits, so now it’s almost impossible to break him of those.”
King believes Murray has the wherewithal to make those changes, but said the lack of team success without him — the Cardinals were 1-11 with Jacoby Brissett in 2025 — could make it tougher for Murray to accept his shortcomings.
“Here’s the one hesitancy I have about what he really learned,” King said. “Jacoby played better, but they didn’t win. It would have been different if they went 5-4 in Jacoby’s starts. But they didn’t win. I haven’t been around Kyler in awhile, but the Kyler I knew would be like, ‘I told you it wasn’t me.’
“It may be seeing how little of a market there is for him that wakes him up. Maybe it doesn’t. Once you get to a certain level of wealth, if wealth is the main priority, you don’t really listen to the bossman. It would be like if ESPN came in and gave you a four-year, $2 million job. By Year 3 you’d be (coasting). It’s human nature.”
King: Cardinals should consider Kenny Dillingham for head coach
With Murray heading out of town, a history of losing and a juggernaut division, it’s not a surprise to see the Cardinals struggling to land a new head coach after firing Jonathan Gannon.
King says it’s time to look outside the box — and just up the road at Arizona State.
“Would the fanbase buy Kenny Dillingham?” King said. “I’m just saying, if I’m the Bidwills, I have to be looking outside the box. I can’t just go hire Jonathan Gannon Part II. Can (Dillingham) do it? I don’t know. It would create (buzz). I would probably be most concerned about creating negative will in the community because of how late it is. Taking Arizona State’s head coach at this point would be a death blow to that program. That would be more concerning to me than anything else. But I think they need to be looking outside the box.”
King says there are at least a few pieces in place that are enticing for potential candidates.
“Where are they in the coaching desirability rankings? Let me give my opinion,” King said. “Really good weather and I have a nice trio of young weapons in (Trey) McBride, Michael Wilson, and I have to figure out how to get the best out of Marvin Harrison, but I know there is talent there. So I’m not going where the cupboard is completely bare.
“I can pick my own quarterback and create my own running back room. I can put my own facelift on the offense, and I’ve got three good pieces. Defensively, we’ve got some work to do. From a talent standpoint, from a depth standpoint, we’ve got to make some moves. My best player might still be Calaias Campbell, which is trouble. Calais is my age.”
But King said the lack of fanbase support is a major negative for prospective hires.
“If I win in Arizona, does anyone really care?” King said. “That’s the thing they’re trying to battle. Phoenix is a Laissez-faire, Hakuna Matata kind of place. I lived there. So from a desirability standpoint, what am I looking for as a coach? Because they care in New York. They definitely care in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. They care in Cleveland, even though it’s poorly run. They give a damn. The importance meter from the city, the fanbase, Phoenix is way down there.”
