Cardinals QB Kyler Murray Creates NFL History After Stellar Sophomore Season

The Kliff Kingsbury-coached Arizona Cardinals started their 2020 NFL campaign on a strong note by beating Super Bowl LIV runner-ups San Francisco 49ers on opening weekend.

The 2nd-year quarterback Kyler Murray threw for 230 yards with 1 passing touchdown as the Cardinals beat Kyle Shanahan’s boys by a 20-24 scoreline.

Oct 19, 2020; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) rolls out against the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Murray formed a strong bond with veteran WR DeAndre Hopkins, who arrived from Houston last summer. But Arizona’s form dipped midway through the season.

Ultimately, they finished with an 8-8 record and missed out on making the NFL Playoffs last season. But despite a disappointing end to their campaign, Murray posted some promising numbers in his 2nd year as a starting quarterback.

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Kyler Murray finished the 2020 NFL season with 3,971 passing yards, with 26 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He further had 819 rushing yards and an impressive tally of 11 rushing TDs.

In doing so, he became the first quarterback in the league’s modern history with 7,500+ passing yards, 45+ TD passes and 15+ TD runs in his first 2 NFL seasons.

Oct 25, 2020; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) runs by Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Poona Ford (97) during the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The former Oklahoma Sooners man arrived in Arizona as the #1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. After impressing in his rookie season, Murray took his game to a whole new level last year. However, he still could not lead his team to the NFL Playoffs.

The Cardinals finished third in the NFC West behind Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams. They will hope to improve on that record when the season starts in September. The Cardinals need to make some additions to their squad in the summer. Their defense, in particular, needs some major reinforcements if they want to challenge for the NFC West title in 2021.

Despite a poor collective result in 2020, Murray is still considered to be on par with young quarterbacks such as Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield. Fans will hope that their superstar quarterback will up the ante when called upon by coach Kingsbury over the course of the upcoming season. We’d like to see another Murray-Hopkins masterclass in 2021, for sure!

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