As if being the first overall pick in the draft wasn’t enough pressure, rookie quarterback Kyler Murray already is drawing comparisons to 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes.
Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic has quotes from multiple Cardinals vouching for the notion that Murray throws the ball like Mahomes.
“You could compare it to that,” receiver Christian Kirk said. “It’s very unique, for sure. I’ve talked about it before. Obviously, everyone knows what he can do with his legs, but what he’s able to do with his arm and just the way it comes off his hand. It’s never a duck; it’s always a spiral. . . . It’s just so quick coming off his hands and the ball is usually never late and it’s usually never underthrown.”
Running back David Johnson agrees.
“I think you can say that, yeah,” Johnson said. “That’s a good comparison. It’s high praise, but I think it’s a good comparison. Kyler’s got one heck of an arm, that’s for sure.”
“Kyler’s a different guy, man,” tight end Ricky Seals-Jones added. “He’s got it all. He can spin it. It’s going to be fun to watch and it’s going to be fun being out there making plays for him.”
The guy who coached Mahomes and now coaches Murray would have the best insight on the matter. And Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury was bashful about making the comparison.
“It’s just a quick, efficient release,” Kingsbury said regarding Murray’s throwing motion. “He can drop it down. Pat was the same way and is the same way. They can drop it down and not lose accuracy, not lose touch. They’re so used to throwing from different platforms, different angles in baseball and it just translates over to football for them.”
The ability to change arm angle as needed, a topic that came up on Wednesday’s PFT Live in connection with a discussion of Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (video embedded), without losing accuracy makes a quarterback far more valuable.
“Yeah, they don’t always have to be on a perfect plain or a great pocket,” Kingsbury said. “They can throw from spaces or moving or falling off balance and still be accurate and throw with velocity and touch.”
Beyond the ability to deliver the ball accurately at different arm angles, Mahomes has the ability to use his legs to buy enough time to find open receivers.
“You can see it throughout the NFL,” Kingsbury said. “Guys that are able to do that are having a lot of success, starting with Pat. You know, Aaron Rodgers has been phenomenal at it. Deshaun Watson, Ben Roethlisberger, all those guys, that second phase of extending the play, it’s huge.”
Murray takes the comparisons to Mahomes, like Murray takes everything else, in stride.
“I mean, he obviously won MVP,” Murray said. “I respect his game a lot, obviously. I think for me, it’s just working to be myself and just be the best me I can be. But no, I take it as a compliment.”
It’s a compliment, but it also pushes a high bar even higher for an undersized quarterback who truly could become the NFL’s next big thing in 2019.
