While Colin Cowherd champions Kyler Murray, many across the NFL remain unconvinced about the Arizona Cardinals quarterback.
Cowherd said as much during a recent The Colin Cowherd Podcast and offered his theory as to why.
“I have this theory. So, I have this therapist friend — a lady — and she has said that it’s not an epidemic, but it is an issue with men who are gamers are bad for marriages,” said Cowherd. “And this person has said she has seen it repeatedly. People think that guys get into porn, and it ruins marriage. She’s like, ‘No, gamers; it’s addictive.’ And I will be honest, when I hear a guy’s a gamer and he’s older, you know, he’s out of his teen years, or he’s past like 20-21, I tend to be like, ‘It’s time to grow up, come on.’
“Most guys get married and have kids, and even if they love that stuff, they get out of it; they move on. But a lot don’t, and it’s like an issue. Therapists are seeing this and they’ve been seeing it for years. It’s blowing up marriages, guys that just can’t stop. It’s not like getting a book and going to read it for 30 minutes.”
That’s to say that Cowherd thinks the stigma around Murray’s gaming habits is a major reason why many don’t believe in him despite his on-field success.
“He’s accurate, he’s a playmaker, he got a poorly-owned franchise to the playoffs in a tough division,” Cowherd added. “I think the gaming thing is a huge stigma. I think older GMs look at it and think, ‘Jesus, grow the eff up. Like, this guy’s addicted to gaming.'”
“I think the gaming thing represents something that a lot of people had question marks on,” said 3 & Out host John Middlekauff. “How hard was he willing to work? And how much did football mean to him? Because there were some question marks early on in his career. And the NFL is a lot like high school. There aren’t that many people there, and everybody knows everybody, and word travels fast because there is no disputing.
“Remember, one of the last games of the (2023) season, he played the Eagles. I mean, he single-handedly was running around, kicking their a**. Bryce Young, also a small player, can’t hold a candle talent-wise to that…I mean, this guy is a legitimate top-10 talent at the position in the NFL. Some people would say it’s a no-go with his height, but he’s kind of overcome it at moments.”
Middlekauff suggested that perhaps Murray might need a girlfriend.
“Quarterback people say he’s the best Texas high school football player ever,” says Cowherd. “He wins the Heisman. He gets Arizona to the playoffs. The fans don’t like him. The media doesn’t like him. Execs don’t like him. His owner doesn’t like him. I’ve never seen a player this talented…Nobody’s saying be patient; people bailed on him.”
“My take on Kyler is, he is the most talented quarterback in my life that has no support group,” Cowherd added. “I mean, Jordan Love didn’t play for three years, was terrible in September in his fourth year, and everybody was yelling, ‘Give him time.'”
