Cardinals’ Murray worth the hype, but he’s not Superman
Kyler Murray was the right choice to play quarterback for the Cardinals, but he will not put on a cape and save the world from its inevitable doom.
If that seems like a silly thing to have to say, consider the hype that’s already built up around him. We’re in organized team activities (OTAs), months away from anything resembling a game that matters, and already people are talking about him like some sort of Superman.
“There are some things when you stop and watch it on film where you think, ‘There’s not many people on this planet that can do what he’s doing,’ ” guard Justin Pugh said Monday.
The next thing Pugh said is far more important, and it’s something we all would do well to keep in mind.
“But you’ve got to prove it when the pads are on and there’s live bullets.”
Kyler Murray will not be faster than those metaphorical speeding bullets, but he will be faster than most of the defenders to which Pugh alluded.
Faster than a speeding bullet
“When he gets to running,” defensive tackle Corey Peters said, “his legs move so fast. He looks fast. I know he actually is fast, but some guys actually look fast.”
Peters is another one who describes the rookie with terms of wonder, typically reserved for those who leap tall buildings in single bounds.
“He’s an extraordinary type of player. He’s got a great arm. He’s fast. His success in college is a great example of the potential he has in the league.”
Peters isn’t as concerned with the hype. “It is what it is,” he said. “When you’re the No. 1 overall pick, no matter who you are, there’s gonna be a lot of hype. But hype is what it is, it’s really nothing. It’s made up. At the end of the day, it’s gonna come down to how he performs in the games.”
He thinks Murray is going to be pretty good. “When you watch, for instance, Kyler handling the offense, I think you see it,” Peters said.
It doesn’t take X-ray vision to see why his linemen love him. Murray brought doughnuts and breakfast sandwiches for all on the first day. It’s like kryptonite for guards, tackles and centers.
More powerful than a locomotive
Murray will not defend the planet from plots hatched by Brainiac or Lex Luthor, but he did think of everything on the first day.
“We had some milk, too,” Pugh said. “He’s starting on the right foot.”
But it’s entirely too soon to tell whether Murray will make the offense more powerful than a locomotive.
“Time will tell,” Pugh said. “We’re two weeks in. I don’t want to put any crazy expectations or anything, but he’s done everything he’s supposed to do, so far. And we look forward to building this thing up and getting this train rolling.”
But if you want another example of why everybody’s so hopeful, just look up, up in the sky. It’s not a bird. It’s not a plane. It’s one of Murray’s spirals.
“Every throw so far that you guys have seen,” Pugh said. “Has any one not been perfectly thrown?”
He has a point.
Until Kyler Murray has a chance to prove it, we just need to be careful that we don’t let the hype carry us up, up and away.