Was Kliff Kingsbury trying to teach Kyler Murray a lesson?

Oct 28, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) against the Green Bay Packers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury allowed quarterback Kyler Murray to call some plays to the backups in practice this week. But it wasn’t a reward, it was a lesson.

Kingsbury griped that Murray will occasionally shake his head when the coach calls plays, and that didn’t sit particularly well. So Kingsbury sought to show Murray that it isn’t quite as simple as it seems.

“I just wanted him to know that, ‘Hey, this s–t ain’t easy.’ Every now and then, he starts shaking his head when I’m calling it in there,” Kingsbury said, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. “I’m like, ‘Alright, go ahead big dog.'”

New to the play-calling game, Murray made the mistake of talking right up until the moment the quarterbacks threw the ball. That obviously wouldn’t be permitted in a live game, but it was in practice.

“I would not want to play for Kyler Murray if I was a quarterback and he was the coach,” Kingsbury quipped.

The comments can be read maliciously, but Kingsbury was smiling throughout the press conference. He may have been legitimately annoyed with Murray’s head shaking, but nothing too serious or too personal. The fact is, Kingsbury and Murray need each other this season as pressure mounts for both.

The Cardinals collapsed down the stretch last season, which reflected poorly on each party. And while Murray was signed a long-term extension this offseason, both he and Kingsbury will need to step it up in 2022 if they want to remain in Arizona.