Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has set the NFL on fire with his play, both throwing the ball and running the ball. He has over 1,000 rushing yards and set the league record for rushing yards by a quarterback with two games left in the season.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray isn’t anywhere near 1,000 yards but leads the team with 504 rushing yards, a team record for the position.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury was asked by reporters on a conference call with the Seattle media, as the Cardinals take on the Seahawks on Sunday, if he would be fine with 1,000 rushing yards from Murray.
“It’s okay as long as he’s protecting himself,” he responded. “He’s not built like Lamar, Lamar is a big guy, a physical runner. That’s not Kyler’s game. He’s more of a quick-twitch, finding the soft spot, get down, get out of bounds. But if he were to go for 1,000, he’s really smart, he’s great at protecting himself, has been his whole life and so I would be pleased with it.”
Murray’s 504 rushing yards have come without much perceived effort. For a few games, it felt like he was actively trying not to run.
Looking ahead to 2020 and beyond, as he gets more comfortable with the NFL and running an offense, it might be something we see happen.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
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