Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray completed 25-of-35 passes for 242 yards and four touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 47-24, Week 18 win over the 49ers, adding three rushes for 22 yards.

The four-score start was Murray’s first of the year, and helped him sneak past 20 through the air on the season. An every-week starter for the first time since 2020, Murray appeared fully healthy after that was not the case during his eight-game post-ACL cameo last season. Unfortunately, the better health was not accompanied by another step forward as a player. It was more of the same for a quarterback who rips chunk gains on the ground, but not as often as fellow dual-threats Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. Murray also again disappointed as a down-field passer despite the addition of first-round boundary man Marvin Harrison Jr. He entered Week 18 in the bottom half of Pro Football Focus’ deep passing grade, for instance. Bryce Young and dead-armed Kirk Cousins both generated more yardage on attempts of 20-plus yards. On the whole, Murray’s touchdown rate was a new career low, unacceptably so. No longer a spring chicken going on age 28, Murray seems unlikely to find a new career gear absent pairing up with an offensive Svengali. That is not on the horizon in Arizona.