Thanks to a recent interview by FOX Sports analyst Terry Bradshaw, who worked in the studio with new Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, the belief is that Payton is not the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals because he doesn’t like quarterback Kyler Murray.
Bradshaw told Vic Lombardi that, while discussing possible coaching destinations for Payton, Payton would not go to Arizona because “he doesn’t want to work with that quarterback,” clearly referring to Kyler Murray, unless it was in reference to Colt McCoy, who is slated to be the starter while Murray comes back from his torn ACL.
Payton attempted to clarify Bradshaw’s comments when he spoke with Kay Adams on “Up & Adams.”
Wait so what did Kyler Murray ever do to @SeanPayton??!!
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) February 9, 2023
Payton attempted to clear the air about what Bradshaw said, although he didn’t completely refute the comments.
First, he claimed that Bradshaw said what he said because he was unhappy Payton was leaving the FOX gig. Bradshaw said that.
He also suggested that Bradshaw sometimes just says things to say things.
“When Terry gets interviewed, you just hold your breath because you don’t know what’s going to come out,” he said. “I think from Terry’s perspective, I know he would have felt better if I was coming back to FOX so there wasn’t going to be anyone good enough in his eyes for me.”
He also made one thing clear.
“I don’t hate Kyler Murray,” he said. He also added that his own son is Murray’s biggest fan.
“I think he’s extremely talented,” he said about Murray.
All are true.
However, Payton did not come out and say he would have loved to work with Murray.
The narrative around Murray has been that he is selfish, hard to coach and doesn’t prepare well enough. Add in the fact that he won’t be able to participate in the offseason program because of his knee surgery, and you don’t have an ideal situation, especially with his contract.
That said, Payton reportedly was eyeing the Cardinals’ head-coaching job even before the season was over, should the team decide to fire Kliff Kingsbury.
So what do we know now? Payton doesn’t hate Murray and he believes that Murray is very talented. Does he want to work with him? That wasn’t clear.
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