Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is in his second year in the job and his familiarity with the job isn’t the only difference from last season.
Gannon’s first year in Arizona was made more difficult by quarterback Kyler Murray’s return from the torn ACL he suffered during the 2023 season. Murray spent last summer rehabbing the injury and didn’t make it back into the lineup until the middle of the regular season.
This summer has been smoother sailing for Murray and Gannon said this week that the ability to focus on football has been a good thing for the quarterback.
“I think from a mental and physical standpoint, right now where he’s at, to even when he got back last year or even where he finished last year, I think he’s leaps and bounds ahead,” Gannon said to Adam Schein of Mad Dog Sports Radio. “What I know about the guy, my relationship with him when I got his job: His will to win is extremely high. And if you detail out and lay out for him what is needed from him to improve himself, the offense and the team, he is 1,000 percent willing to do that. So, I love the guy, because he’s done everything that I’ve asked of him and more. He’s been a phenomenal leader on and off the field – not just with the offense, but with the entire team.”
Murray’s impact on the Cardinals was clear last season. They were 3-5 in the games he started after going 1-8 without him, so it’s easy to understand why there are high hopes for what a full offseason will mean for the team’s fortunes in 2024.