Criticized for Taking Their Ugly Contract Negotiations Public, NFL Analyst Breaks Down Similarities Between Aaron Rodgers and Kyler Murray After Both QBs Emerge Victorious in Week 2

With week 2 of the regular season now over for the Arizona Cardinals, their slim win against the Las Vegas Raiders has brought their star QB, Kyler Murray, into a new kind of spotlight; one that he shares with the Green Bay Packers maestro Aaron Rodgers.

Murray’s brilliance in the second half, keeping the play alive, and carrying the ball himself into the end zone on 2 separate occasions, overturned the 20-point deficit they had before halftime. Arizona ended up winning by 6. It was truly exciting and exhilarating to watch.

But Murray’s antics, both preseason and in the first two weeks of the season, have led to some unexpected parallels being drawn with Aaron Rodgers, the Packer’s QB. Per ‘The Colin Cowherd Podcast’, although both the star QBs are not totally similar in their unique abilities, the fact that they are so gifted, “You put up with some of their BS!” 

What similarities can we draw between Kyler Murray and Aaron Rodgers?

Kyler Murray recently secured a high-paying 5-year extension to his contract. During the negotiations, he went public, greatly “frustrating” the Cardinals. Post which he went on to have a terrible week 1 performance (22/34 passes for 193 yards). But then, he rebounded with a magical display of his running and throwing abilities in week 2. And this is exactly how Aaron Rodgers’ last two seasons played out till week 2. And this looks a lot like an uncanny resemblance in their careers.

Rodgers had issues while renegotiating his contract back in 2021, with his 3-year extension resulting in him being the highest-paid quarterback at $50+ million a year. Murray isn’t nearly as close to the figure that emerges from Rodger’s highly complicated contract. But Murray’s $46.1 million a year payout does make him the second highest-paid QB. And the similarities don’t stop here either.

In 2021, the Rodgers-led Packers lost their week 1 match against the New Orleans Saints, being decimated by the Saints 38-3. Rodgers could only manage 15/28 passes for 133 yards. Week 2 rolled around, however, and things changed. The GBP came back by defeating the Detroit Lions 35-17, while Rodgers put in 22/27 passes for 255 yards.

It is the same story for Rodgers this year too, and though the numbers might be a tad bit different, it speaks the same truth. But why must one even think of making such a comparison?

So why the comparison then? And is it justified?

Colin Cowherd in his podcast says, “If we’re gonna accept Aaron Rodgers and the drama, and the week 1 snafu and struggles, why can’t we accept it with Kyler Murray? They’re both all otherworldly talent”. This is mainly in reference to the huge debacle caused due to Murray’s contract negotiations. The Cardinals tried to get Murray to undergo an “Independent Study” session each week. And it was received very badly by the NFL community.

Also Read: Kyler Murray Won’t Have to ‘Independent Study’ As Arizona Cardinals Get Trolled By NFL Universe And Change Clause Back

Murray is perceived as arrogant sometimes, self-centered and immature too. So is A-Rod, a tad bit arrogant, maybe not as immature. But according to Colin, it’s necessary for teams and fans to put up with some of their odd and frustrating behavior because of their talent, their gift.

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