The Arizona Cardinals have responded to Kyler Murray's recent social media cleanse by joining the party.
The Cardinals scrubbed the club's Instagram account down to two posts on Friday, essentially mirroring what their superstar quarterback previously did. Murray attracted speculation this week by scrubbing his Instagram account down to two posts that don't show any clear affiliation with the team.
The two posts left on the Cardinals' account are nearly identical to those currently shown on Murray's with one being the same shot of the QB at this year's Pro Bowl. The other offers a slight but not so subtle difference with Murray holding up a Cardinals jersey on the day he was selected No. 1 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. Murray's only other post is of him in a University of Oklahoma uniform just after winning the Heisman Trophy in 2018.
An early MVP candidate amid a blazing 7-0 start to the 2021 season, Murray and the Cardinals' season faltered in the second half on the way to an 11-6 record and ended with a blowout loss to the division rival Rams in the Wild Card Round. An ankle injury impacted Murray's hot start and forced him out of three games, but the Cardinals' high-powered offense never regained its prowess upon his return and the third-year QB noticeably struggled.
A bitter end to anyone's season may call for a break from social media and perhaps that's merely what it is for the 24-year-old. However, the Twittersphere knows no bounds in this day and age, and what could very well be a non-story turned into one overnight once people noticed Murray's cleanse after Sunday's Pro Bowl.
At this point, "we just don't entirely know what it means," NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Feb. 8.
Murray has one season remaining on his rookie contract and it's likely that Arizona would pick up his fifth-year option. It's anyone's guess what Murray's message is behind the deletion of most of his posts. That is, of course, if there is even a message behind it at all.
For the Cardinals, perhaps playing along may serve or hope to serve as a gesture in good faith. After all, doing anything to remain in good standing with a QB like Murray could be the best social media strategy for any team.
