Kyler Murray's tumultuous 2022 campaign ended in gruesome fashion, with the Arizona Cardinals quarterback suffering an ACL tear on Dec. 12.
The 25-year-old QB has spent the offseason rehabbing and spoke about the injury for the first time on an episode of the "Flight Plan" podcast.
"It's got to be a positive. There really is no option for it to be a negative," Murray said, via the team's official website. "I feel you get your little grace period right after it happens, dwell on it, soak in it, let the feelings take over. After that, (expletive), we gotta go. Life doesn't stop. The job doesn't stop. And I'm not going to stop."
Last offseason, Murray signed a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension after contentious negotiations. In the aftermath of the deal, questions about Murray's study habits came into question with the so-called "homework" clause in his deal -- which was eventually removed.
Murray and the Cards struggled through the early part of the season, getting off to a 3-6 start with Murray having just two games above the 280-yard passing mark. Then injuries began to strike, first with a hamstring issue that forced him out two games, then the season-ending ACL tear.
Entering his fifth season with a new coaching staff and front office, Murray said he believes he's "wiser."
"I've got to respect the person or understand the ins and outs or the rhymes and reasons for what we are doing," Murray said. "I'm going to listen. I'm going to be coachable and I'm going to do it to the best of my ability, but if the (expletive) ain't working, at some point, we all have to look in the mirror.
"As far as growing from my rookie year to now, learning how to be one with your emotions, understanding how to talk to people. Some people are able to take the harsh way, and I am naturally that way, or do I need to give them a little love and that's part of the quarterback position. ... And (learning) what can I do better, how can I be better, how can I make the guys around me better? It's a team sport. We all have to be locked in."
With new coach Jonathan Gannon at the helm and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing calling the offensive shots, Murray is ready to move on from last season.
"I'm thinking of stuff that I wasn't part of, like the draft, who we were gonna get, young players coming out," Murray said. "The whole (last) year was (expletive). It happened for a reason. The things we were doing weren't sustainable for success.
"It was necessary and in turn good will come out of what happened."
The big question surrounding Murray is when, if at all, he'll be able to play in 2023. The timing of his injury in mid-December makes it highly likely he'll miss the start of the campaign. Colt McCoy would be in line to start.
Through four seasons, Murray authored some magical moments and jaw-dropping plays, but he knows to succeed once he returns from injury, he'll need to be more consistent to get Arizona back on track.
"I think winning cures all, and it's been tough to do that with some of the circumstances we've had to deal with," Murray said. "But I think we are headed in the right direction."
The Cardinals' draft-day maneuvers clearly indicated the club is looking at 2023 as a rebuilding season. The yearlong question will be, if Arizona picks No. 1 overall in 2024, would the new brass move on from Murray and select a new face of the franchise?
