Murray, as usual, is the key.
He fits well into the Drew Petzing offense, and acknowledged he feels he can be himself in such a system. That showed in the final month of last season when James Conner dominated on the ground and Murray looked sharp – and that was without the services of talented rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
The unit has looked how Murray has wanted in training camp, and coach Jonathan Gannon has been pleased with his QB – as he has noted multiple times. Still, “Sundays is where you get measured,” Gannon said.
In some ways it feels like a new start for Murray, except it isn’t. He did have eight games to play under Petzing’s system a season ago. His ACL was healed by then. Oh, and there is the reality that for Murray, this has been one continuous thought since returning from his injury.
“Football has been on my mind this whole offseason,” Murray said. “It always is but last year, being hurt and having to rehab and stuff like that, (I tried) not to get too far away from the game mentally.
“I have had this on my mind for a long time, what I want to accomplish, what I want this team to accomplish, so it doesn’t feel brand new.”
Any player in his second season back from an ACL will be healthier, and Murray acknowledged he was in that place. Otherwise, Petzing said, “he’s been the same player, the same person, the same teammate” as the guy who ended the season.
“He does a great job of turning off from being in the locker room to going on the field and being very serious and the quarterback and leader that we need him to be,” Harrison said. “I admire that with him.”
There are no struggles in front of him. That’s why Murray said he is happy.
“You’re free,” Murray said. “I love what I do.”
