Three's A Charm: Kyler Murray Named NFC Offensive Player Of Week

[Big Red]

Kyler Murray hopes to earn many awards over his career as Cardinals quarterback.


But in his second season, he has already done something no player in franchise history has ever accomplished – being named NFC Offensive Player of the Week three times in one season.


After his career-best 406 passing yards in a 33-26 win over the Eagles, a game in which Murray threw for three touchdowns and ran in a fourth, he was picked for the honor yet again Wednesday. He also won the award after his Week 5 in New York against the Jets and his Week 7 game in Seattle.


Murray's game was excellent, but his wasn't the only one. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins could've made a claim after his stellar nine-catch, 169-yard, one-touchdown game. And linebacker Ezekiel Turner could've easily won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after his 26-yard reception on a fake punt and a blocked punt.


Adding in Hopkins' Week 11 OPOW award, and the Cardinals have taken the honor four times this season. The last time the Cardinals won four Offensive Player of the Week awards was in 1996, when QB Boomer Esiason (twice), QB Kent Graham and RB LeShon Johnson were the recipients.


Murray already has four POW awards in his short career, trailing only quarterback Kurt Warner -- who won five in Arizona -- for the most in franchise history.


It is the sixth Player of the Week award overall for the Cardinals this season. Safety Budda Baker won it in Week 6 and linebacker Haason Reddick won it in Week 14. The Cards haven't had that many weekly winners since they had seven during the 2009 season.


In Murray's performance Sunday, he became the first player in NFL history to have nine games in a season in which he both ran and passed for a touchdown.


Murray was also named to his first Pro Bowl earlier this week.

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