Kyler Murray officially kicked off the start of his NFL career on Friday by running through the first day of his first rookie mini-camp with the Cardinals and the quarterback jumped right in with both feet.

The only problem was his feet were killing him afterward. And it was noticeable.

It wasn’t so much the fact that it had been a couple months since he’s done much of anything on a football field. It had more to do, he said, with an uncomfortable new pair of cleats he was wearing that had yet to be broken in properly.

“I feel good. I feel rested. Expect for my feet hurting, I feel pretty good. I’m not too worried about it right now,” said Murray, the first overall pick in this year’s draft.

Murray looked uncomfortable as he met with reporters in front of a podium following Friday’s two-hour workout. He was wearing flip flops and kept flexing his feet in and out of the sandals, hoping to feel some relief. It wasn’t coming as he stood there and squirmed.

He’s hoping the final two days of mini-camp will be better now that he’s sent an emergency request for a few trusty pairs of cleats back in Oklahoma.

“Yeah, but I don’t know if they’ll be able to get here in time, though,” Murray said, trying to laugh.

Other than the star quarterback’s ailing feet, it was a productive day all around for Murray and the rest of the Cardinals’ rookies and other first-year players, many of whom are in camp after signing contracts as undrafted free agents and some who are here on a tryout basis.

“Yeah, it was good to have them there,” first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “Anytime you’re out on the grass, with young players that are excited to be there – it’s kind of a dream come true for a lot of those guys to be out there – so it was fun. Good energy.”

About the only thing worth noting from the first 25 minutes of the workout that was open to reporters was watching Murray take turns throwing deep passes down the sideline to some of the rookie wide receivers that are soon about to become some of his best friends. He looked sharp and on target when lofting throws to players such as second-round pick Andy Isabella, fourth-round pick Hakeem Butler and sixth-rounder KeeSean Johnson.

“Great balls. They were coming in there real nice,” Johnson said. “It was great. It was wonderful. I’m ready. … He’s determined. He’s going to push you to be great, no matter if you’re tired or what it is. He’s going to tell you to go hard every play so having a quarterback like that and having someone push you to be great, I feel like it’s just going to help build your expectations.”

Kingsbury liked what he saw out of Murray, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.

“Not bad,” he said. “Some familiarity with the system helps. He can really throw it. He’s got a presence about himself. So, I liked how he operated.”

Kingsbury has been waiting to coach Murray for some eight years, having tried to recruit him when the quarterback was a sophomore back at Allen (Texas) High School, where he went a perfect 43-0 and won three consecutive state championships.

“Yeah, it was fun,” he said. “We have a good relationship. He knows I’m going to do everything in my power to help him be the best player he can be and that’s what he wants. He wants to be pushed.”

An unusually large media contingent was on hand for Friday’s workout, the only one of three that would be open to reporters, and despite his aching feet, Murray fielded every single question like a seasoned pro. Even the one that was related to baseball, when he simply turned his head and said, “Next question.”

“Yeah, he’s been born and bred to do this,” Kingsbury said, alluding to Murray having no problems being on the center stage and the star attraction. “I’ve said it all along, that’s his mentality. It’s what he’s always expected to do and be and so he’s kind if living it out right now. It may affect other people, but it doesn’t seem to affect him.”

To Murray, it’s no big deal.

“That’s just how I am,” he said. “I don’t really put too much into the off-the-field stuff, whatever y’all say or the media says. For me, all I can do is go out and play my game and let that speak for itself.”

What he experienced and felt during his first day with fellow rookies, he added, probably won’t feel any different than when he gets to practice and play with veterans in the coming days and weeks.

“For me, no. Leading the same way, practicing the same way. Trying to just go out there and compete and be me and work the ball down the field,” he said.

Murray was asked about several subjects on Friday, including the following:

On if he has any plans to get together privately with players for workouts following the Cardinals’ OTAs and prior to training camp: “Right now I’m just focused on the task at hand, which is this mini-camp.”

On how similar the offensive system is here under Kingsbury as to what it was under Sooners coach Lincoln Riley: “It’s pretty similar. It’s pretty comfortable. Surprisingly comfortable as far as just communication and stuff like that. … I think that’s helping me out a lot.”

On Isabella saying the passes he caught from Murray on Friday were the best passes he’s ever caught in his life. “That’s flattering. … Hopefully, he’ll be catching a lot of touchdowns.”

On signing his four-year contract with a fifth-year team option, which is worth $35.1 million and includes a $23.5 million signing bonus: “It was a great feeling. For me, it was kind of another day because you get drafted and then you already feel like you have it, but you don’t have it and then you sign but you still don’t have it. But it was obviously a great day for me and my family and the start of something special.”

On oddsmakers suggesting the Cardinals will have trouble winning more than four games in 2019: “I don’t pay attention to all of that. They’ve got to make some type of odds, but I don’t really care what anybody else’s expectations are of this team. We’ll go out, play hard, work hard, and we’ll see where that goes.”

As for Murray being the Cardinals’ starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Lions, the team has sent some mixed messages. General Manager Steve Keim seemed definitive that Murray would be the man, telling “The Rich Eisen Show,” “We didn’t draft him No.1 overall to ride the pine.” Kingsbury was less forthcoming, telling “The Jim Rome Show,” “We’ll see.”

Murray, though, seemed to let it slip on Friday that he’s been assured of the job by Keim, saying he didn’t necessarily believe the GM when he heard him say what he said to Eisen.

“I didn’t believe it when he said it,” Murray said. “I kind of saw it but I didn’t see a credible source and then I kind of looked up. … I didn’t believe it, but then he told me the other day. Like I said, for me, it’s about coming here working hard every day and just trying to get better.”

Note

The Cardinals have signed the remainder of this year’s draft choices, announcing they have agreed to terms with Isabella and Butler, safety Deionte Thompson, guard Lamont Gaillard and defensive tackle Michael Dogbe. All 11 of their draft picks are now under contract.

The Cardinals also signed two undrafted rookie free agents in running back Wes Hills (Slippery Rock) and cornerback Nate Brooks (West Texas) and waived running back Brandon Wilds, wide receiver Bryant Mitchell and cornerback Jonathan Moxey.

Have an opinion on the Arizona Cardinals? Reach McManaman at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac. Listen to him live every Tuesday afternoon between 2-5:30 on AM 1060/SB Nation Radio on Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch and every Wednesday afternoon between 1-4 on Fox Sports 910-AM on The Freaks with Kenny and Crash.

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