🏈 Kyler Murray: The Fun, Carefree NFL Superstar

The Arizona Cardinals have a ton of momentum and a young, swift, electrifying QB who is making it look easy. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: Kyler Murray is playing at an MVP-caliber level and has the Arizona Cardinals on top of the NFC West ... we take a look at what Kim Ng’s ascent means to the women of baseball ... and Chris Paul and Devin Booker are already in the gym, working out together. It is both a great compliment and also completely unfair to Kyler Murray, to demand - in the wake of his “perfect day” last Sunday - this: “What have you got for an encore?” It is unfair because even the greatest of National Football League quarterbacks don’t have many days like Murray enjoyed last weekend. When, in case a reminder is needed, he threw a Hail Mary for the ages, promptly had it named after him, led the Arizona Cardinals to the top of the NFC West and thrust himself towards the forefront of the MVP conversation. And, as he’s 23 and carefree, capped it off by playing video games with his buddies. Yet because Murray has settled into a rhythm in his second season whereby excellent performance is beginning to feel routine, the question of “what’s now” feels appropriate and pertinent. His exploits have Cardinals fans believing, the Phoenix area buzzing, LeBron James Tweeting, NFL pundits salivating, Blake Shelton crooning and probably a whole bunch more celebratory stuff that we didn’t think of. [STORY IMAGE 1] “Is anyone doing it better than Kyler Murray right now?” [Brandon Marshall, former All-Pro and co-host of FS1’s First Things First, said](. “They are getting it done in the pass game, in the run game and he has the flair that goes with it.” Murray’s next opportunity to shine comes on national television (Thursday, 8 p.m. ET on FOX) in arguably the most pivotal game of Arizona’s season, against the Seattle Seahawks. The NFC West is a monster of a division that in all likelihood will hinge on the games between the main protagonists. Both of Thursday night’s participants and the Los Angeles Rams are logjammed at 6-3, while the San Francisco 49ers may have been poised to work their way into the mix before being eviscerated by injuries. No one can quite figure out who is the leader of the pack in the NFC overall, but the Cardinals have a ton of momentum on their side and a young, swift, electrifying QB who is making it look easy. Murray will let others handle the MVP talk. He’s too busy having fun. [STORY IMAGE 2] “I haven't done anything so as far as the MVP deal, I'm not worried about that,” Murray told reporters. “As far as my personal confidence, do I believe I'm one of the best in the league? Yeah, of course. I think anybody should be confident in themselves.” Let’s break down some of the things from the top, because they are worth closer examination. That Hail Mary, now christened the “Hail Murray.” It was the first one he had ever attempted and while DeAndre Hopkins’ sure-handed magnificence was the headliner, it couldn’t have happened without Murray dashing from the right hashmark to the left sideline and launching one into the end zone while completely off balance. The MVP chatter? That comes into even stronger focus with this game on the slate, as it pits him against Russell Wilson, the man who led that conversation for so long and looked like a lock. Until he didn’t. Wilson has dropped off in recent weeks after a spectacular start to the campaign, a dive that seems statistically inexplicable but in truth merely confirms he’s been asked to do too much on account of the Seahawks’ abysmal defense. Murray is on the rise, in esteemed company alongside Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, with Wilson trying to force his way back in. “(Murray) is having a Lamar Jackson year,” Marshall added, referring to last season’s MVP winner. How did Blake Shelton, of all people, gatecrash this narrative? Regardless of your musical taste, Shelton is a good-natured guy who loves his football and is close friends with Cardinals general manager Steve Keim. For months leading up to the 2019 NFL Draft, [he harangued Keim]( both in private chats and on social media, urging him to look no further than Murray when mulling what to do with the top pick. [STORY IMAGE 3]( His reasoning was that such a player would get the Cardinals noticed more on a national scale, with his cool factor and athletic potential. Well, it turns out the Oklahoma product has all that flash, but also the kind of calm head that points to a long and fruitful career. Now, overreaction is the most glaring pitfall in the NFL sphere and we are all guilty of it. By nature it is a sport where the spectacular gets highlighted and coming off a throw from the heavens means Murray’s hype is at an all-time high. However, his numbers back up the big talk. So far, he has 27 total touchdowns, including 10 rushing – which puts him on course to break Cam Newton’s QB rushing touchdowns record of 14. In combined yards, he is just under 3,000. As it stands right now, Murray is listed at 6.5-to-1 odds to win the regular season MVP, [according to FOX Bet](. He has the fourth best odds, trailing only Mahomes (+180), Wilson (+230) and Rodgers (+300). [STORY IMAGE 4] Even a full spectacular season doesn’t guarantee longevity but here is perhaps the biggest thing that points in a positive direction for Murray. He is quickly becoming part of the NFL furniture, spoken about in the same breath as the established elite QBs, and no one seems to think it feels out of place. He’s rolling, the Cardinals are doing the same and if the upward trajectory continues against the Seahawks, people will start to genuinely consider Arizona a Super Bowl contender. As for Murray, you’ll know he’s on a track for superstardom, as long as we are seeing big things yet still asking the hopeful question. “What have you got for us next?” [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals Head Coach: “I've kind of visualized what he could be since he was 15 years old. It's fun for me to sit back, not only as a guy who gets to work with him, but as a fan, and see how he has taken it and run with it.” Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver: “He's a stud. He's got a wealth of ability, and it's a testament to his hard work and everything he does to put himself in position. I think the game is becoming easier to him. It's slowing down a bit.” Colin Cowherd, The Herd: “There is a difference between a model and a supermodel. One of them doesn’t get as much attention. Cam Newton is a model and Kyler Murray is a supermodel. Cam gets attention, but when you start dissecting it, Kyler does everything better. I watched Kyler Murray in his second game and I was all in. I’ve been watching Cam for 10 years and I still don’t get it.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - Jaden McDaniels, a projected first round pick in the NBA Draft, has greatly benefited from a strong support system. [Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated]( explains how McDaniels is a product of the Seattle basketball fraternity. - Is Alabama quarterback Mac Jones college football’s next Joe Burrow? [ESPN staff writer Alex Scarborough]( explains why he just might be. - Kim Ng was recently named general manager of the Miami Marlins, making her the first woman in major American men’s professional sports to hold that position. [Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein]( explains what Ng’s ascent means to the women of baseball. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Less than 24 hours after it was announced that the Phoenix Suns acquired All-Star guard Chris Paul in a trade with the Oklahoma Thunder, CP3 and Devin Booker were already in the gym together. Check out this video, which shows Paul and Booker training together and working on their chemistry. With Paul, Booker and big man DeAndre Ayton leading the way, Phoenix has a chance to make some serious noise in the Western Conference next season! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Western Michigan at Central Michigan (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET) Kaleb Eleby and the Western Michigan Broncos take on Kobe Lewis and the Central Michigan Chippewas. 2020 NBA Draft (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET) The 2020 NBA Draft takes center stage Wednesday night as the Minnesota Timberwolves hold the No. 1 pick. WWE NXT (USA, 8 p.m. ET) Rhea Ripley challenges Io Shirai for the WWE NXT Women’s Championship. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( 2020 NBA Draft: Anthony Edwards Draft Position Under 1.5: -125 Over 1.5: -105 This bet really comes down to one simple question … do you think Anthony Edwards will be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft? Our very own [Andy Katz projects Edwards as the top pick in his recent mock draft](. However, there are some that believe LaMelo Ball could go No. 1 overall. If you are confident that Edwards will be the top pick, then go ahead and lock in this bet. Either way, we are all in for what is looking like a wildly entertaining NBA Draft night. 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