Former Cardinals GM: Drafting Nick Bosa over Kyler Murray Would've Gotten Me Fired

Former Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim has made a bold claim about his selection of Kyler Murray over Nick Bosa with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft.

When asked Tuesday during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show if he would still take Murray over Bosa, Keim said: "Well, Kyler got me an extension. Nick Bosa probably would have gotten me fired."

Keim added: "Well, your quarterback position is the guy who can propel your team the quickest. And he did that. Could Nick Bosa have gotten us to an 11-win team that year, two years ago?"

The comments come after Keim told Patrick last week that leading up to the 2019 draft, Bosa warned him that if he selected Murray over him that he would "haunt" the general manager for the rest of his career.

It's hard to imagine selecting Bosa, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, would have gotten Keim fired. However, it's worth mentioning that the Cardinals were in desperate need of a quarterback in 2019 after a 2018 campaign that saw the franchise start both Josh Rosen and Sam Bradford.

The 49ers hit gold with Bosa, who has helped lead the franchise to three NFC title games and one Super Bowl appearance since 2019. While San Francisco boasts a well-rounded roster, the addition of Bosa significantly elevated its defense.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have made the playoffs just once since drafting Murray. They were eliminated in the NFC Wild Card Round during the 2021 season.

To be fair, Arizona doesn't have nearly as well-rounded of a roster as San Francisco, but it's hard to say Murray has lived up to expectations over his four-year career.

In the end, Keim resigned from the Cardinals after the 2022 season, and head coach Kilff Kingsbury was fired. Monti Ossenfort is now the general manager and Jonathan Gannon is head coach.

The Niners, meanwhile, still have Kyle Shanahan as their head coach and John Lynch as their general manager.