After playing a role in the first two preseason games, is Kyler Murray playing today as the Arizona Cardinals face the New Orleans Saints? Will we see Murray on Saturday, or will we now have to wait for the regular season to watch him again?
Note: The New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals preseason matchup has been canceled due to Hurricane Ida.
Is Kyler Murray playing against the Saints today?
The Cardinals have clearly seen enough from Murray this preseason as head coach Kliff Kingsbury announced that Murray would not take the field this week. That is hardly a surprise, given that Murray has been with the team for two years already. It is not as if he needs the third week of the preseason to get acquainted with the offense.
Murray played through an injury last season
Murray does not look like an injury-risk type of player, as he has played 16 games in both of his first two seasons. He played 96% of the team’s offensive snaps in 2019, rising to 97% in 2020. Still, when you watch Murray, you can see there is a risk to his game. He’s not the biggest player, and he plays a cavalier style of offense.
Last season, Murray hurt his shoulder in Week 11 against the Seahawks. There was a difference to his game after that. It was clear to anyone watching, and it was reflected in the statistics as well.
The difference is stark when using fantasy points as the element to give you an overview of Murray’s game. He went from averaging 32.2 fantasy points per game to 20.2. That is a drop-off in production of 37.3%. Regardless, his performance in the first half of the season has people excited over Murray’s fantasy outlook for 2021.
A strong start to his career
There has been a lot to be impressed about by Murray in his career. Through two seasons, he has completed 65.8% of his passes, 7,693 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions. His 4.2% touchdown rate and 7.0 yards per attempt are solid numbers. His 2.2% interception rate is somewhat of a concern, however.
Murray has also contributed as a runner since being drafted. Across those two years, he has carried the ball 226 times for 1,363 yards (6 yards per attempt) and 15 touchdowns.