Kyler Murray first encountered Jayden Daniels during a chance meeting at a local mall. At the time, Murray didn’t recognize Daniels, then ASU’s quarterback, seeing only a “baby-faced tall kid.” However, since that meeting, Murray has followed Daniels’ journey—from his transfer to LSU, winning the Heisman, and now to the NFL with the Washington Commanders, who face Murray’s Cardinals on Sunday.
The two share more than just Heisman wins and NFL careers; both have played under Kliff Kingsbury, who was Murray’s coach with the Cardinals and now serves as Daniels’ playcaller with the Commanders. This weekend will mark Kingsbury’s first game back in Arizona since being let go as Cardinals head coach in 2023. Despite once being seen as the perfect pairing, Kingsbury and Murray’s time together ended, and both have since benefited from a fresh start.
Daniels has led a strong Commanders offense, with no punts or turnovers in the last two games. Kingsbury’s focus with Washington has been to build a new offense, distinct from what he ran in Arizona, adapting to Daniels’ strengths. Meanwhile, Murray has had a solid start to the season, matching Daniels’ performance.
When asked if he could provide any insight on Kingsbury’s offense to the Cardinals’ defense, Murray dismissed the idea, saying, “It doesn’t really affect me. My goal is to go out and win the game.” Kingsbury, meanwhile, has emphasized that his time in Washington is focused on creating a fresh approach, not simply repeating his Arizona system.
Although Murray acknowledges differences between Kingsbury’s offense and the system now run by current Cardinals OC Drew Petzing, he’s confident in his growth under the new coaching staff, who have been in close communication with him even during his injury recovery. Despite a rough outing against the Lions, Murray remains optimistic about the team’s progress through the first three games.
