In his third season after Arizona selected him at No. 1 overall, quarterback Kyler Murray has made it to the playoffs.
And he’s fully embracing the moment, as the Cardinals get ready to play the Rams on Monday night.
“As a competitor, this is as big as it gets,” Murray said in his Thursday press conference. “This is the playoffs. This is what you dream of. This is what you live for. This is what you play for, the opportunity to go win a Super Bowl. There’s no shying away from it. This is something you dream about as a kid. To be able to be in this situation now and to be in it, it doesn’t get much better.”
Murray noted that he’s felt the sense of urgency in the locker room now that the postseason has arrived, with players excited and ready to go. Earlier this week, head coach Kliff Kingsbury said he’s expecting Murray to play the best game of his career in the upcoming Wild Card matchup.
“He’s watched me for a long time, so he knows my [mentality] as far as big games or just the game in general,” Murray said of his coach’s comments. “I eat, breath and sleep football. To be in this situation, I’m excited about it. There’s no fear. There’s no nerves about playing at a high level. You’ve just got to go out there and execute the plays and be yourself. I cherish this moment. I understand, and I’m excited for it.”
He also thinks it’s natural for postseason games to have a different feel as teams get ready for them.
“It’s the playoffs. It’s Monday night in L.A. We’re the only game on TV. I don’t know how you cannot feel a certain way about it or be juiced up about it,” Murray said. “I was raised that way. You’ve got to show up when the team needs you. It’s on us. We have got to go out here and prepare well this week and go out and execute on Monday. There’s nothing else that really needs to be said about it.”
While Murray and the Cardinals faltered against the Rams at home in Week 14, they won 37-20 in L.A. back in Week Four. Murray finished that game 24-of-32 passing for 268 yards with two touchdowns adding 39 yards on the ground.