Many fans have mixed feelings about Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. He has shown in stretches of his career that he can be an MVP-level quarterback, but that hasn’t shown up since 2021. He is sometimes great and then sometimes quite average.

Many believe that this year could be his last in Arizona if he isn’t great.

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Former NFL quarterback Rex Grossman, who took the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl once, doesn’t believe that.

“The Cardinals have a great quarterback; it’s not like they should be looking for someone else,” he told Kyle Odegard in an exclusive interview.

“But the way he can move is unlike any player I’ve ever seen,” he said. “He’s like a Madden create-a-player when you only have so many attributes. You give away the height for the quickness and speed. I love watching him play.”

Then Grossman added something that fans probably don’t want to hear, but it is true.

“I think he would be awesome on a great team,” he said. “I’d like to see him have an unbelievable defense, to not have to put it all on his shoulders.”

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But great quarterbacks elevate their teams, right?

Ask Joe Burrow about that.

Burrow led the NFL in passing yards and touchdown passes. He only threw nine interceptions despite throwing more passes than anyone in the league. Guess what? He won one more game than Murray last year.

“There is not one quarterback in the history of the NFL that can say, ‘Hey, just throw any team out there and I will be great,’” Grossman added. “It’s not the way it works. It starts with the great personnel, great coaching and locker room atmosphere. When you’re on a great team, everyone can sense it, and that has momentum in itself.”

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Arizona’s defense was unable to get off the field and unable to create turnovers. That led to Murray having to force things late in games.

Look at Murray’s best year in 2021. He was playing at an MVP level, and when the Cardinals started 9-1, the defense was dominant. The defense put the offense in good spots and Murray was dynamic.

Perhaps Murray is not as special as Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen to be able to will his team to double-digit wins. Then again, the Chiefs and Bills have had much better defenses.

This is why it should be fun to watch Murray this year. The Cardinals loaded up on the defensive side of the ball, remaking their defensive front seven. If this year’s defense can be an above-average unit, watch Murray play like one of the league’s best once again.

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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Former Super Bowl QB hypes up Kyler Murray, says what he needs