Many have projected the Arizona Cardinals to finish at or near the bottom of the NFC West this season, and given the talent of the other teams in their division (San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks), it’s easy to see why.
The over/under on the Cardinals’ win total next season is 6.5 games, per BetMGM, but quarterback Kyler Murray believes the team is capable of much more. Speaking to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Murray recently stated he welcomes those who have already counted Arizona out.
“I know people are sleeping on us, but it is what it is,” Murray said. “You see it. You see everything. Try to stay off the social media as much as possible but you see, obviously, who they talk about, who they don’t talk about. Like I said, winning cures all. … This what I dreamt of doing — winning Super Bowls — and that’s my goal. My goal is to be the best and win Super Bowls, so the motivation is internal.”
The Cardinals went 4-13 last season, but they were without Murray for the first nine games of the year. They’re clearly a better team when they have Murray, a two-time Pro Bowler and former Offensive Rookie of the Year, healthy for a full season.
Arizona also has some offensive pieces to work with aside from Murray. The team has a legit No. 1 receiver in rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. and it also signed Zay Jones, who had 82 receptions and 823 yards just two seasons ago in Jacksonville, to form a solid WR trio along with Michael Wilson, who showed flashes during his rookie season last year.
The Cards also drafted promising rookie running back Trey Benson to pair with 1,000-yard back James Conner and third-year tight end Trey McBride is coming off a breakout season in which he caught 81 passes for 825 yards and three touchdowns.
“I put no limitations on this offense,” Murray added.
If Murray can regain his 2020-2021 form when he averaged 3,879 yards passing and 622 yards rushing per season while scoring 66 total touchdowns, there’s a good chance the Cardinals could surprise some people.