Kyler Murray, Kliff Kingsbury must take next step

Projected 2022 MVP: Murray. We talked about some heat descending on our guy Kliff for the team’s poor showing in the second half. Well, Kyler also received his fair share of criticism, too, with NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reporting in February that the team wants him “to take a step forward in a number of areas,” including “maturity, body language on the sideline, having a bigger voice with his teammates, and leadership.” It’s worth noting, again, the multiple signals that Murray and the team are, as NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported later in February, “on the same page.” But I want to make sure to offer some perspective on Murray. While he is by no means perfect at this stage in his development, I wouldn’t get too carried away with nitpicking his game and presence.

Because here’s the thing: He is still a young quarterback, set to be 25 when the season starts. And he’s one of just three players (joining Josh Allen and Russell Wilson) to top 10,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards over the past three campaigns combined. I’m old enough to remember Peyton Manning‘s early, egregious playoff losses. In other words, it might be a little too soon to write Murray off, considering I’d still put him among the top 10 QBs in this league.

And yes, I realize I’ve compared Kliff and Kyler, who are each three years into their NFL tenure together, to a Hall of Fame coach and quarterback, so I’ll just move along now.