Cardinals QB Murray: 'Not my job' to decide when ball goes to Harrison

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray defended his role in Marvin Harrison Jr.'s quiet NFL debut, saying it's not his job to control how many targets the rookie wideout receives each game.

"As a quarterback, obviously, you're going through your reads," Murray said, according to Craig Morgan of PHNX. "Sometimes the ball goes to him, but that's not my job.

"I have a sense and a feel for guys when they don't get the ball and when they are getting the ball, but I leave that up to (offensive coordinator) Drew (Petzing). He tells me, 'Don't worry about that type of stuff. Just keep playing your game and get the ball to where the ball is supposed to go.'"

Harrison caught one pass for four yards on three targets despite running 36 routes in Arizona's 34-28 Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The son of Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison also had one drop, according to PFF.

Murray has been particularly criticized for not throwing the ball to a wide-open Harrison near the end zone in the final minutes of the contest. The signal-caller said postgame he didn't see his star wideout, per Theo Mackie of azcentral sports.

"Certainly, as a play-caller, you feel that throughout the game," Petzing said of Harrison's lack of targets, per Morgan. "I was a little bit surprised with how much respect (the Bills) gave him early in the game, and I think it opened up some things, especially in the red zone in the run game.

"But he's one of our top players. Certainly, he's on the forefront of our mind in terms of getting him the ball. I think they did some good things to take him away, and, certainly, I could have called some plays differently to try to get him a little bit more involved early."

Murray finished the season opener with 21 completions on 31 attempts for 162 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 57 yards. Three Cardinals players amassed 30-plus receiving yards, including wideout Greg Dortch, who posted team highs with six catches and 47 yards.

"One of the things I try to stress with Kyler is that it's not his job to get certain people the ball or worry about how a guy is doing in the flow of the game," Petzing added, according to team reporter Darren Urban. "I've got to do that with the way I call the game, and he's got to make the best decision based on the look, the coverage, how the routes are run."

Arizona drafted Harrison fourth overall as the top WR prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. He'll have a chance to bounce back in Week 2 when the Cardinals host the Los Angeles Rams, who have been missing starting cornerback Darious Williams due to injury.