Arizona Cardinals’ Drew Petzing eager to coach Kyler Murray – Arizona Cardinals Blog

Josh WinefussESPN staff writer6:00 am ET6 minutes of reading

TEMPE, Ariz. – Drew Petzing knew it was coming.

It took all of two questions at Thursday’s news conference introducing him as the new Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator for Petzing to be asked about quarterback Kyler Murray.

“I hear it’s going to be a hot topic,” Petzing said.

Petzing quickly realized that Murray would be at the center of his work. His interview with new head coach Jonathan Gannon focused mostly on Murray.

“I structured everyone I interviewed around Kyler,” Gannon said. “The questions that I asked about how, philosophically, we’re going to play offense, what I think is really difficult for the defense in 2023 and beyond, a lot of them had to do with Kyler.

“And ultimately, in my opinion, that’s one of the No. 1 jobs of an offensive coordinator is to maximize the skill set at quarterback and at the other positions as well. But we know it’s the position that does. So that was very central to all the interviews and I liked his response.’

Petzing was ready.

When Petzing, who was the quarterbacks coach last season for the Cleveland Browns, got the call shortly after the Super Bowl that he might be interviewed for the job, the first thing he did was watch a tape of Murray and call some of the former coaches Murray and co. Petzing takeout?

“One of the attractive things about this job for me was the opportunity to work with a quarterback of his caliber,” Petzing said.

After Petzing arrived in Arizona this week and met with Murray, who is recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee that forced him to miss six games in 2022, he spoke to the quarterback quite a bit. Petzing said Murray was “extremely engaged” in their conversations, which did not revolve around football, Petzing said.

“He was great,” Petzing said. “I think he’s really attacking rehab. I’m really excited about what’s going on so it’s been great getting to know him and I’m looking forward to it continuing over the next few days.

Gannon said Murray is “right on schedule” with his rehabilitation.

Petzing, a first-time offensive coordinator, did not reveal what his scheme would look like, but said that whatever his offense is, it will start with his quarterback — just, as he pointed out, every NFL team. Petzing said he has an idea of ​​what his offense will look like, but added that it will be a “constantly evolving process.”

However, Petzing said he will rely on Murray’s running ability (he averaged 6.2 yards per punt in 2022) when the fifth-year quarterback is fully healthy. Petzing said it’s no secret that Murray’s ability to run makes him “really dangerous to defend.”

“I think one of the things you hear us talk about is how to make things difficult on defense. And any time you can use something that a player does well or above average like him, um, it’s going to create that indecision of “Hey, can I really call this a defense? Can I take advantage of that chance knowing that if I miss, it could be a big game?” Petzing said. “So I certainly want to continue to see that be a big part of his game.”

Although Murray likely won’t be on the practice field at full capacity this offseason, Petzing said Murray will get a crash course in the new offense in the meeting room and through screenings. There will be quizzes and film work to help Murray stay on top of the scheme, Petzing said.

Gannon plans for all position meeting rooms to be “very interactive” by placing players in “hot spots.” He doesn’t want them to just regurgitate what they hear – he said he wants them to fully understand it.

“The boardroom is going to be a full-time job for us,” Gannon said. “So even though he’s not on the field, he’s going to be stressed mentally, I know that.”

Petzing still expects Murray to be ready to play when healthy.

“I have full confidence in him that he’ll be able to grasp and understand the offense even though he won’t get physical reps during training camp,” Petzing said.

With his relationship with Murray in its infancy, Petzing wants Murray to know that he has his best interest at heart and that they share the same goals—and that Petzing will do whatever he can to help Murray achieve those goals.

“And then it’s a personal connection,” Petzing said, “where you really care about the person outside of football and you care about who they are and what they’re about and what they’re interested in and that they know and feel that and that it is real.

“I think that’s a really big part of it.”

Gannon understands it will take time for Petzing and Murray to reach that level together. Both Gannon and Petzing were quick to note how much the win meant to him.

“He’s the franchise quarterback for a reason,” Gannon said. “He’s committed to his job, so he does what he has to do to put this team in a position to win, and at the end of the day, that’s what I’ve really noticed about him over the course of a week and a half.”

“But what continues to ooze from this guy is his competitiveness, and it’s a different form of competition to what he’s doing now. Some guys have been there, some guys haven’t, but it’s a tough road and you have to have the right mindset to do it.

“And what I’ve been impressed with so far is just the competitiveness that he has in him, talking a little bit about football with him, the competitiveness that he has, like, ‘We’ve got to do this right because we’ve got to do this win.’ That’s what I like to hear from your quarterback.”