The Arizona Cardinals published what should have been an innocuous post over social media on Monday, making the team’s support for starting quarterback Kyler Murray clear.
“Our franchise QB,” read the post. It was a simple, declarative statement that should have gone without saying after the team committed nearly a quarter-billion dollars to him in Arizona through 2028 just two years ago.
Instead, possibly precisely because of the fact that Murray is the Cardinals’ top quarterback for the near future should go without saying, football fans were raising eyebrows that it needed to be said in the first place.
Compounding the issue was the fact that the last time Arizona made such a proclamation, it came in support of quarterback Josh Rosen, and came just two months before the Cardinals selected Murray with the first pick of the 2019 draft.
Fans had a field day with the similarities between the two comments, and made plenty of jokes suggesting that Murray may have more to worry about than the Cardinals are letting on.
Any time you have to say it…. https://t.co/aibpsqASSq
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) February 26, 2024
He just got Rosen'd. https://t.co/kpkpNm2WI0
— Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) February 26, 2024
I’m old enough to remember when the Cardinals tweeted this about Rosen….right before they picked Kyler https://t.co/apABJaKfMQ
— Tim Wenz (@LwyrUp406) February 26, 2024
Dejavu https://t.co/QS2fGcn8nx pic.twitter.com/GwDvWwHFIa
— Sauces Confirm (@SaucesConfirm) February 26, 2024
Strange tweet. Under contract five more years. https://t.co/4NBANxNQt3
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) February 26, 2024
I'm sure this won't turn out poorly at all. https://t.co/B0b0a87Pks
— David Fucillo (@davidfucillo) February 26, 2024
those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it https://t.co/zcqRhCw9Tw pic.twitter.com/cO4AwtGKw4
— Joshua Brisco (@jbbrisco) February 26, 2024
oh no https://t.co/EGqbLxz5nA
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) February 26, 2024
It feels likely that these jokes will remain jokes for the time being, rather than a comical foreshadowing, as Murray is in a far different position than Rosen was when the Cardinals backed him. Most notably, Arizona still owes Murray a ton of money over the next few years, while Rosen was still on his rookie deal.
Still, anything can happen in the NFL, and with the Cardinals holding the fourth pick this year, history could repeat itself if the right player fell to Arizona on draft night.
