Kyler Murray Praises Aaron Rodgers' Packers Presser: 'People Like to Sugarcoat S--t'

Timothy Rapp @@TRappaRTFeatured Columnist IVJuly 30, 2021

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JULY 30: Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals throws a pass during training camp at State Farm Stadium on July 30, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Norm Hall/Getty Images

Arizona Cardinals star quarterback Kyler Murray was a big fan of Aaron Rodgers' Wednesday press conference upon his return to the Green Bay Packers, when he spoke to reporters about his disappointment with decisions the team's front office made, among other topics.

Murray told reporters Friday:

Ryan Cody @RyanThomasCody
Kyler Murray on the Aaron Rodgers press conference the other day. “I love what he said.” <a href="https://t.co/l7uti7FLN5">pic.twitter.com/l7uti7FLN5</a>

Darren Urban @Cardschatter
Kyler Murray was a big fan of the Aaron Rodgers press conference, although he said Rodgers has earned that right. <br><br>“People like to sugarcoat s**t. I Iove how honest he was.”

Rodgers aired a long list of grievances in his candid press conference. Below is a sampling of his remarks:

B/R Gridiron @brgridiron
Rodgers didn’t like how GB treated vets like Charles Woodson in the past 👀 <a href="https://t.co/XsbyWTXWeK">pic.twitter.com/XsbyWTXWeK</a>

Mike Garafolo @MikeGarafolo
Rodgers says another frustration was he wasn't used in free-agent recruiting. Feels it's needed in Green Bay, which isn't a "vacation destination." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Packers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Packers</a> "tried to throw some money at me." Says it was about more than that, though he didn't want to be a "lame duck" QB.

Mike Garafolo @MikeGarafolo
Going back to something Rodgers said earlier, he wasn't consulted on the hiring of Matt LaFleur (which is absolutely nuts, btw). "I love Matt, we've had a blast and I'm glad he's here," but it was clear at that point the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Packers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Packers</a>' organization viewed his job as "just play."

It's rare in the NFL to hear a player offer that level of candor. But Rodgers, a three-time MVP, nine-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro selection and a champion in the 2010 season, is one of the players who has more than earned the ability to express such honesty on a public stage.

It's not a surprise that NFL players like Murray would have appreciated Rodgers' remarks and his attempts this offseason to control his future. Many of the rules in the NFL regarding contracts—franchise tags, non-guaranteed deals, even the salary cap—favor organizations over players.

Rob Demovsky @RobDemovsky
This seems to be a common feeling among many who watched all 32 minutes of it, but it's striking when it comes from one of Rodgers' peers. <a href="https://t.co/RHe3EZUn5a">https://t.co/RHe3EZUn5a</a>

As for Murray, the Cardinals will be hoping he one day has a career like the one Rodgers has put together. The 23-year-old quarterback is off to a good start after finishing the 2020 season with 3,971 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 67.2 percent of his passes.

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He also rushed for 819 yards and another 11 scores, making him one of the NFL's most dangerous two-way threats at the position. Murray was named a Pro Bowler and the Cardinals went from 5-10-1 in his rookie season to 8-8.

Up next: getting the Cardinals back into the postseason, a tall task in the tough NFC West.