With the Arizona Cardinals’ 2023 season complete, it is time to give awards and recognitions for players on the team. We have previously given our 2023 Cardinals players awards for:
- 2023 team MVP
- 2023 defensive player of the year
- 2023 rookie of the year
- 2023 breakout player of the year
Who was the Cardinals’ comeback player of the year?
That honor goes to quarterback Kyler Murray.
Murray tore his ACL in December 2023 and missed the first nine games of 2023. He played in a new offensive scheme under new coaches without getting a single offseason physical rep.
Upon his return, when the Cardinals were 1-8, he led them to a 3-5 stretch over the final eight games, had two fourth-quarter comebacks and two game-winning drives. Were it not for a missed field goal in the finale in the final second, Murray would have been 4-4 in eight games with three game-winning drives.
He played like a player who never had a knee injury in terms of how he moved around.
And over the final three games, he had a passer rating of 108.3, completed over 70% of his passes and had six touchdown passes and only one interception (and that one interception was not a bad throw, it was a miscommunication with rookie receiver Michael Wilson).
Murray led the Cardinals to three wins with almost zero production from his wide receivers and with a defense that was decimated by injuries and statistically was arguably the worst in the NFL.
He left no question in the building as to whether he is the player the Cardinals should build around.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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