What is going on between the Arizona Cardinals and Kyler Murray? Both the quarterback and franchise have had a bumpier ride in 2022's young offseason than most were expecting.
The quarterback has alluded to not being happy with the franchise, even going so far as to unfollow and delete almost every post on Instagram, barring two.
In an even more bizarre twist, the Cardinals also deleted all of their Instagram posts with the exception of two. For Murray, the two remaining posts show him at the Pro Bowl and with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals' two remaining posts show Murray on draft day, holding a Cardinals jersey and the quarterback at the Pro Bowl.
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Murray's picture at the Pro Bowl is the same on both the quarterback's and the team's Instagram profiles. Something is being said here, but the question is what?
What caused the Cardinals to mimic their quarterback? Is it out of solidarity or spitefulness?
Why did the Arizona Cardinals mimic Kyler Murray's actions?
First, it would make sense to rule out less explosive reasons for the moves. Perhaps after a disappointing end to the season, the team's new motto was to erase the past and focus on the present and next season.
As such, the team asked the players to delete their history on social media, prompting the young Murray to protest, signaling his displeasure.
Eventually, he did it. The Cardinals, also looking to set an example, did so as well. But looking at a few other players' profiles, that theory falls apart.
DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore, and AJ Green all have intact Instagram profiles. Had there been a team-wide initiative, those players would likely have only had a few posts right now.
Instead, dozens of posts are viewable for each player.
This leaves only explosive options. Meaning, the quarterback's decision to delete every post except the two without a Cardinals uniform was something initiated by him as a likely form of protest.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals' social media coordinator decided to do the same, but those reasons are equally mystifying.
It was likely either out of solidarity or out of spite. Essentially, imagine accidentally punching a friend and then punching yourself to show them how sorry you are.
On the other hand, imagine an unruly child imitating or mocking their parent. The latter seems odd considering the Cardinals would be the "parent" in this situation.
Therefore, one can only think that this was done as a desperate ploy to reach out to the quarterback to start a productive dialog. Either way, the move shows that the season of smoke and mirrors is officially upon the NFL.
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