Kyler Murray will look to rebound from back-to-back injury-riddled seasons, playing only eight games last season and 11 the year before for Arizona. Late in the 2022 season, the two-time Pro Bowler had an ACL tear that ended his season to affect his 2023 season, returning in Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons last year.
Murray has a career 15,647 passing yards and 94 touchdowns through the air on a 66.6 completion percentage with a 92.2 passer rating. On the ground, he has 2,448 yards and 26 career touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
The former Offensive Rookie of the Year and Heisman Trophy winner has been turnover-prone, fumbling 31 times and throwing 46 interceptions in his career. The Cardinals will need a cleaner season than his recent years statistically, as Murray has the potential to be their long-term passer.
The 5’10” and 207-pound quarterback had his highs and lows the past five seasons, showcasing his talent as a potential top dual-threat in the NFL.
Kyler Murray 2023 Stats and Fantasy Production
Kyler Murray was the 26th-ranked quarterback in fantasy in 2023 after missing about half the season last year. It takes a bit of time post-torn ACL with him being comfortable with his knee cutting and running, so that was expected.
Murray averaged 18.9 fantasy points in those eight games, with a high of 24.7 points in Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles with that insane comeback Arizona pulled off. The Cardinals quarterback had just his tight end to throw to and a lack of weapons at wide receiver in 2023.
The offensive line around him, along with the offensive weapons Arizona has added the past few offseasons, has gotten better compared to previous years.
If health isn’t an issue, his ceiling could be higher than some of the other fringe top-ten options among the second or third-tier quarterbacks in fantasy. That duel-threat ability is a cheat code scoring-wise, so if he can limit the turnovers, I can envision Murray being close to a top-five fantasy quarterback.
It is safe to assume Kyler Murray will rebound on the ground with his rushing ceiling and passing floor in 2024.
Kyler Murray 2024 Fantasy Outlook
His high rushing floor plus the recent draft addition of the 4th overall pick in the draft Marvin Harrison Jr. should boost his upside as a fantasy asset. With another year in the offensive system, Kyler Murray should be more comfortable with his infrastructure with a new alpha wide receiver this coming season.
Murray was solid in fantasy when they had DeAndre Hopkins in 2020 and 2021 before things went off the rails in Arizona. The offense should now feature the rookie receiver and breakout star tight end Trey McBride in 2024.
The top four quarterbacks consensus in ADP according to FantasyPros include Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson. The next tier includes C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Joe Burrow, Dak Prescott, and Murray rounding out the top ten.
But with many names considered in the next tier like Jordan Love, Brock Purdy, and Tua Tagovailoa who were all standouts last season, it is a muddled bunch for the mid-tier quarterbacks for fantasy. Right after, players like Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff, and rookie number one overall pick Caleb Williams are around that range for starting fantasy quarterback.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals star passer slips a bit, making him a great value pickup considering who’s available after the top five quarterbacks.
Final Thoughts on Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray signed an extension with Arizona in July of the 2022 offseason, as he is under contract for the next five years. He is on a massive $230.5 million extension with a $51.4 million cap hit in 2024 with a base salary of $37 million, according to Spotrac.
The 26-year-old former top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft got a pay raise for being on the roster this offseason, with his contract deemed untradeable. Murray received an additional $29.9 million fully guaranteed for next year, on top of the $35.3 million he’s guaranteed this season (according to Sports Illustrated).
Injuries have plagued his career in recent years, as he was a top-two quarterback in 2020 and a top-ten quarterback in 2021 for fantasy. The torn ACL derailed his fantasy outlook for the past two seasons, as he hasn’t gotten back to elite status ever since.
The Cardinals can be frisky in a tough NFC West division after going 4-13 in back-to-back years with the roster improvement over recent seasons under head coach Jonathan Gannon.
This season could be different for Arizona and Kyler Murray a year removed from injury.
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