Michael Bidwill: We have to continue to build around Kyler Murray

The Cardinals went 2-5 down the stretch in 2024, which left them with an 8-9 record and out of the playoffs when the season came to an end.

Late season fades have been a frequent occurrence during quarterback Kyler Murray's time with the team and his eight interceptions in the final seven games didn't do anything to help Arizona avoid this one. That makes it easy to understand why General Manager Monti Ossenfort said on Arizona Sports 98.7 on Friday that "we have to finish" in 2025.

Ossenfort said it's on the whole team to improve on that front and said Murray "absolutely" has to be better in the tightest moments of the season, but Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill left no doubt that the team is still making Murray the centerpiece of their plans.

“What he is is a dual-threat quarterback," Bidwill said. "When he’s healthy he scares every defensive coordinator and he has a chance to change the game with his feet and with his arm. When you look at it, we’ve got to continue to rely on him and he’s got to play at a high level. He knows that. He’s working hard. . . . He needs to take the next step and we’re excited about our future with Kyler. He’s a great quarterback. I think we need to continue to build around that offense for him.”

Murray's contract gave the Cardinals little choice but a commitment to Murray in 2025, but 2026 will look different in terms of salary cap savings and the offseason confidence in Murray will have to pay off to guarantee a future in Arizona.