Has Kyler Murray hurt Cardinals in their head coach search?

Oct 24, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) against the Houston Texans in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Cardinals are still trying to find a new head coach, and there are some who believe their star quarterback is making the search more difficult.

Two of Arizona’s candidates came off the board when Frank Reich was hired by the Carolina Panthers and Sean Payton took the Denver Broncos job. That has sent the Cardinals a bit deeper down their list. Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network says he was told by NFL personnel at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., this week that some of Arizona’s desired candidates do not want to be tied to Kyler Murray for the next four seasons.

That may have been the case for Reich and Payton. Murray has already developed a reputation for being difficult to coach. He openly butted heads with former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who was fired at the end of the season. Had Murray and Kingsbury gotten a long, Arizona probably would not have made a coaching change.

Murray was also ripped after the season by an anonymous teammate who questioned the former No. 1 overall pick’s work ethic.

Still, Murray is a star quarterback with a huge ceiling. Even if he needs to mature, there should be plenty of young coaches who are willing to work with him. Perhaps the latest candidate the Cardinals are reportedly targeting will relish the opportunity.