Should the Dolphins Pursue Kyler Murray?

The second I saw the rumors that Kyler Murray was very soon probably not going to be with the Cardinals, my mind went straight to the Dolphins (as any good fan should). My first impression was, “Hey, let’s just swap Tua for Kyler! We’ll even add in some money to pay for some of Tua’s contract to make it more fair!” Then I saw headlines that even suggested it — or at least had the Dolphins as potential suitors for Murray. But is that a good idea, even if the Cardinals would agree?

First, why did my mind even go there?
I think I speak for many Dolphins fans (and really all fans) in saying that there is one thing that fans want: hope. Fans want hope that there will be good days in the immediate future or in the years ahead. Of course, that hope will take on different meanings as the team changes. Sometimes the hope will be fulfilled with a Super Bowl ring, and other times it will be fulfilled with a playoff berth, with everything else being extra credit. But all fans want out of their team is hope — either through the present or the future. They want something to look at and see the possibility of something positive come out of it and allow them to dream.

Right now, the Dolphins don’t give me any hope. They are directionless. Tua’s days are numbered with the organization, and the fans don’t see any hope in him anymore. The future looks as bleak as it ever has. So that gives us no hope. And when anything comes up that could give us that hope we so desperately seek, we grab onto it with both hands! That was my immediate reaction to the Kyler Murray news: “Hey! This guy has a chance to give us something to hope for! Let’s just do it!” Because Kyler Murray gives me more hope than Tua does.

Anyway, back to the question: does it make sense for the Dolphins to pursue Murray?
Yes, both QBs need a change of scenery. And yes, both QBs can still be starters in this league. And yes, if each team traded away their QB, each team would naturally need to replace them. But I just don’t see this as making sense for the Dolphins.

For starters, Kyler Murray gets injured — a lot. In his past five years in the league, he has played 5 (this year — and it doesn’t look like he’s going to play any more games even if he is healthy), 17, 8, 11, and 14. That’s less than 65% of his games played. Especially given the Dolphins’ recent trauma with Tua’s injuries and the seeming complete halt of the offense with anyone else under center, why would they sign up for that once again? Granted, the lack of adjusting the game plan with a backup is completely on the coach, but whether it’s McDaniel as the coach or someone else, it’s not a good plan to bring in a QB who has only played a full season one time in the past five years.

Aside from the injuries, Kyler Murray has been in the league for seven years already, and he’ll be 29 next season. Especially given his injury history, I don’t see him pulling an Aaron Rodgers or a Tom Brady and playing into his 40s. I just don’t see him getting anywhere near that age in this league. He doesn’t have the durability to last that long.

The Dolphins look like they’re headed toward a teardown pretty soon, hopefully gaining draft capital to start building the team up once again. Kyler Murray just doesn’t fit that plan whatsoever. The Dolphins aren’t a QB away from being able to make a run — they need much more than that. Their O-line needs work (including the youngsters they already have), the secondary is practically nonexistent, and who knows if Tyreek Hill ever steps foot on the field again — and even if he does, who says he’ll be anywhere near the Tyreek Hill before the devastating injury? Players sometimes never fully recover from these types of injuries — especially 32-year-olds (which Hill will be at the start of next season). He’s already walked back his commitment to coming back next year and said he needs more time to think about it and see where his mind is at when he recovers. The Dolphins just aren’t in a place where it would be smart to bring in an injury-prone vet next year to lead their team. They’re too far away from relevance to seriously entertain such a thought.

Don’t get me wrong, I love watching Kyler Murray play. More than anything, it’s his combination of quickness and speed — quickness in his moves and the way in which he can shift his legs seamlessly, and speed in his ability to outrun any defender. And I firmly believe that to be successful in this league today, you need to have a run game (see Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson, among others). So he still has a chance to succeed with another team, and I’d be more than happy to watch him start in the NFL. But the Dolphins just don’t make sense.