Kyler Murray is signing a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings for the veteran minimum of $1.3 million. It’s an interesting move that could help reshape the team’s tepid QB room. But Shannon Sharpe still believes that his size will be an issue when it comes to staying healthy.
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Murray has dealt with a ton of injuries ever since he entered the NFL. Being a smaller guy at 5-foot-10-inches, his body simply hasn’t been able to withstand the grueling nature of the league. In 2022, he tore his ACL, and this past season, he had a Lisfranc sprain in his foot. Both ended his season, and he’s had other injuries mixed in between.
This is the only issue Sharpe has with Murray as a player.
“His only issue is, and I said this from the very jump, he is a small man. Injuries have plagued him,” Sharpe noted on Nightcap.
Fans have always joked about Murray’s small stature. It’s hard not to take note of when one watches him play. At times, he resembles a rabbit or a squirrel when he takes off running with the ball. That being small, agile, fast, and quick-twitch.
However, the jokes have now turned into legitimate concerns about Murray’s durability. It’s partially why the Arizona Cardinals decided to release him while still owing him $35.5 million. But that doesn’t mean that Sharpe and every football fan don’t know what he’s capable of.
“If he stays healthy, I agree with you guys, I think he can play really, really well. But that is a big if, that’s the caveat, that’s the question.”
At his best, Murray was a Rookie of the Year winner, a two-time Pro Bowler, and a mid-season MVP candidate. But it’s been a while since we’ve seen that kind of player. Who knows? Maybe Kevin O’Connell can fix him as he did with Sam Darnold.
It’s going to take a lot of work to get Murray back to what he once was. But Chad Johnson loves the signing by the Vikings because they have great offensive weapons that the QB can utilize.
“Not only is he going to have that resurgence, we’re going to understand why situations matter,” Johnson stated. “Where you go matters. The supporting cast, what they put around you, what they surround you with, also matters. It’s very imperative for a quarterback’s success.”
There’s no doubt that the destination matters when it comes to a QB’s success. Teams like the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and Cleveland Browns have been trying to find their franchise guy for decades. But they continue to struggle because they don’t surround the QBs with good talent.
One guy who knows this better than anyone is Baker Mayfield. He was drafted by the Browns and experienced some early success in his career before being tossed to the side after struggling with subpar offensive weapons. He then went to the Panthers and the LA Rams as a backup, before eventually reviving his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mayfield successfully cured his career by getting away from Cleveland. Can Murray do the same by distancing himself from Arizona? Only time will tell. But with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, and a great coach in O’Connell, it feels like they have the potential to be a potent offense. That is, if Murray can win the starting job and stay healthy.
