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The Cardinals are in the midst of a difficult 2022 NFL season that has seen the team fail to live up to expectations amid injuries and offensive inefficiencies.

And amid these struggles, it appears that the relationship between coach Kliff Kingsbury and starting quarterback Kyler Murray has soured.

Kingsbury and Murray have been together in Arizona since Kingsbury's first season in 2019. The Cardinals spent the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on Murray in the hopes that he could run a version of Kingsbury's Air Raid offense at the NFL level.

That system worked during the early stages of Kingsbury's tenure and amid their 10-2 surge to start the 2021 NFL season.

But as things have gone downhill in 2022, frustrations have evidently emerged on both sides. That has caused the two to butt heads throughout the season and ahead of Murray's injury.

What has led to the deterioration of the relationship between Murray and Kingsbury? Here's what has been reported about it as the Cardinals face a reckoning to end the 2022 NFL season.

MORE: Revisiting Kliff Kingsbury's time with the Patriots, Bill Belichick & Tom Brady

Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray's relationship

Kingsbury and Murray have known one another long-term. The veteran coach first recruited Murray to Texas Tech when he was in charge of the program there 10 years ago.

However, as a recent ESPN story outlines, that connection has done little to help their relationship overcome some bumpy patches in 2022.

"It's not good," a team source said of the duo's relationship last month, per ESPN. "It seems particularly bad this year."

"They're cordial," another team source added about the duo. "It's not the relationship you want from your quarterback and coach."

What has led to tension between the two parties? In part, it has been due to the team's offensive struggles.

The Cardinals rank 21st in total yards and 18th in scoring this season, both of which are the worst marks of Kingsbury's coaching career. Murray posted a passer rating of 87.2 before suffering a season-ending torn ACL. That's the lowest rating of his four-year career.

MORE: How long is Kyler Murray out? Latest news, injury updates on Cardinals QB

Part of the issue is that Arizona's offense dealt with many injury issues during the 2022 NFL season. Another part of the issue, however, falls on Murray, who wanted to run the offense differently than Kingsbury. That has led to a muddled mess of an offense at times, as ESPN detailed.

While one source close to Murray said the quarterback wanted more freedom at the line of scrimmage, particularly with running plays, multiple sources said plays designed to get certain playmakers the ball often didn't come to fruition, either due to miscommunication, a play breaking down or Murray improvising, and the disjointed attack created unpredictability for some of the team's pass-catchers.

Meanwhile, things off the field have been problematic as well. The reason? The two once-close leaders haven't been able to effectively communicate with one another.

As multiple sources close to the situation pointed out, both Kingsbury and Murray have struggled with the direct communication necessary to calm the tension that had become obvious to those around them.

Before Murray's injury, Kingsbury was described as 'extremely frustrated' with the quarterback per a team source, believing that his negativity, if not toxic, was 'starting to get to people' around the building.

As ESPN's story explained, Kingsbury isn't one to call out his players, but his inability to get through to Murray certainly seems to be playing a big role in the disjointed nature of the Cardinals.

And that leads them to a crossroads.

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What's next for the Cardinals?

Clearly, the Cardinals need to do one of two things: fix the relationship between Murray and Kingsbury or remove the problem altogether.

The Cardinals won't be able to do the latter with Murray; he signed a five-year, $230.5 million mega-deal to remain in Arizona after some offseason drama. He then tore his ACL in Week 14 against the Patriots, so it's hard to imagine any team being willing to take on that contract while giving up significant draft pick compensation.

As such, the attention will turn to Kingsbury's status with the team. He signed an extension with the Cardinals during the 2022 offseason as well that was set to tie him to Arizona until 2027; the Cardinals can get out of that deal easier than that of Murray, though they will have to pay a hefty buyout to Kingsbury.

That said, if Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell wants to save some money — or if he still believes that Kingsbury is the right man for the job — then the focus will be on rebuilding the trust and line of communication between the two key team leaders.

As ESPN mentioned, the two are "cordial." So, perhaps not all hope is lost in getting the two back on the same page, especially as Murray looks to recover from a major injury.

The USC offense was pretty darned elite in 2022 but it could get even better in 2023 thanks to Kliff Kingsbury‘s impact. The Trojans hired the long-time offensive guru this offseason.

Kingsbury is serving as an offensive analyst, so he can’t work hands-on with players in practices. But he can provide feedback in the meeting rooms, film rooms and in other areas the team might find such feedback useful.

“Kliff coming in, it’s been great, because he’s been in many different positions, whether it’s offensive coordinator in college or head coach in college or head coach in pros and things like that,” quarterback Caleb Williams said. “So he’s able to give a bunch of different ideas, things that worked in the pros, things that worked in college.”

If Kingsbury’s ideas lead to even more innovation by the USC offense, watch out.

The Trojans ranked third nationally in passing offense, total offense and scoring offense last fall, one of the elite outfits in the country. It wasn’t scoring that was USC’s problem, it was stopping quality opponents from scoring.

Kliff Kingsbury’s impact likely won’t extend to the defensive side of the ball, but he’s been a quality presence around the building nonetheless.

“With him not being a head coach he’s around us a lot more,” Williams said. “Then just talking to us he’s a relational coach, so he’s a great coach to have in your QB room because he’s seen it done on the highest level. He’s seen it done on our level with many different players that, you see now, they went first pick or they won Heisman. Patrick Mahomes. He’s been with a bunch of different guys like that, Kyler (Murray) when he was in the pros.”

Those relationships with top-level professional players gives Kingsbury a lot of instant credibility now on campus at USC.

When he walks in a room, he gets everyone’s attention. The two parties are just hoping it can be a mutually beneficial relationship.

At the very least, Kingsbury has proven to be a guy the players like.

“Just a good relationship coach,” Williams said of Kliff Kingsbury’s impact so far. “He gives you the real, and we’ll talk and have good conversations whether it’s now or down the line a couple years from now the way things work out. He’s been great. It’s awesome to have him and I can’t wait to get going.”

Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals did not have a good season in 2022-23. And, 2023-24 doesn't figure to be that much better. Despite that, Murray is optimistic about the upcoming season. Perhaps because Kliff Kingsbury is gone.

The team has a new head coach, offensive coordinator and general manager. They fired Kingsbury and former GM Steve Keim stepped down to focus on his health. Kingsbury ran the offense and the team did not have an official coordinator on that side of the ball.

They hired Jonathan Gannon as head coach, Monti Ossenfort as GM and Drew Petzing as offensive coordinator.

Kyler Murray seems pretty happy about the changes.

"I'm thinking of stuff that I wasn't part of, like the draft, who we were gonna get, young players coming out," Murray said, according to the Cardinals' website.

"The whole (last) year was shit. It happened for a reason. The things we were doing weren't sustainable for success ... It was necessary and in turn good will come out of what happened."

He doesn't name Kingsbury, but it's hard not to read into what he's saying.

"The things we were doing weren't sustainable for success." Who else puts in place the "things" that teams do?

And, mentioning not being included in the draft process probably reflects on the team's former GM, too.

He wasn't done there, either.

"I think winning cures all, and it's been tough to do that with some of the circumstances we've had to deal with," Murray said. "But I think we are headed in the right direction."

Again, the biggest change for the team is the hiring of a new head coach. What exactly are those "circumstances"?

With Kliff Kingsbury gone, Kyler Murray needs to play well or the Cardinals could move on next season

Kyler Murray needs the team to head in the "right direction." Although he landed a massive contract, the team has not had much success with him at the helm.

The team has one playoff appearance in his four seasons. And, Murray played very poorly in that one playoff game.

Overall, Murray has a 25-31-1 record as a starting NFL quarterback.

The Cardinals traded for the Houston Texans' first-round pick next season. They also have their own. Both figure to be near -- or at -- the top of the NFL Draft.

Should Murray struggle this season, the Arizona Cardinals might have to consider using one of those picks on a replacement.

Tickets are on sale now for Karen Kingsbury Productions’ debut love story ‘Someone Like You’, opening in theaters nationwide in the U.S. and in Canada starting on April 2, 2024. The movie is based on Karen Kingsbury’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name.

To find tickets, theater locations and view the trailer click HERE.

Kingsbury and her husband, Donald, used their savings to make the movie without the help of investors or studios. “Everyone told us not to use our own money, but we prayed about it and made the leap,” Kingsbury said. “I can only say, heading into a major theatrical release, we have no regrets.”

‘Someone Like You’ is an achingly beautiful redemptive love story that centers on architect Dawson Gage (Jake Allyn) who fell in love with London Quinn (Sarah Fisher) in high school, even though she told him not to. Ten years later, the two are still only best friends when tragedy strikes. Now, the grieving Dawson is compelled to do one final act of love for London. He launches an impossible search for her secret twin, twins separated as embryos.

States away, Andi Allen (Sarah Fisher) has no idea she was adopted as an embryo. The news rocks her world and sends her into a spiral that culminates in her leaving home to meet her biological parents. Now only Dawson can show Andi everything she missed about her twin sister. But Dawson and Andi never imagined the attraction they’d feel for each other. Can Dawson help Andi make her way back home, even though he has fallen desperately in love with her?

‘Someone Like You’ stars Sarah Fisher (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Kiss and Cry), Jake Allyn (No Man’s Land, The Quad), Robyn Lively (Teen Witch, The Karate Kid Part III), Bart Johnson (High School Musical I, II, III), Scott Reeves (Nashville, The Young and the Restless) and Lynn Collins (The Walking Dead, X-Men Origins: Wolverine).

With more than 25 million copies of her award-winning books in print, many of Kingsbury’s novels have been developed as major motion pictures and television shows. However, the formation of Karen Kingsbury Productions allowed the novelist the opportunity to make the movie in her heart.

Shot last year in the inspirational storyteller’s longtime home state of Tennessee, and in Alabama, ‘Someone Like You’ was written by Kingsbury and writing partner, Tyler Russell (A Thousand Tomorrows), who makes his directorial debut with the feature. Kingsbury and Russell also produced the film, alongside Natalie Ruffino Wilson (Best Laid Plans) and Trevor K. Ball (This is 20).

In addition, Amazon Prime announced Kingsbury’s worldwide bestselling series – The Baxters – will release on Prime Video worldwide on March 28, four days before Kingsbury’s theatrical release of ‘Someone Like You’.

For updates on ‘Someone Like You’, visit SomeoneLikeYou.movie

A day after announcing Dan Quinn as their next coach, the Washington Commanders quickly found the top two members of his staff. Former Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury agreed to a three-year contract to be the offensive coordinator and Dallas Cowboys secondary coach and defensive passing game coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. agreed to be the defensive coordinator, multiple people with knowledge of the hires said Sunday night.

Kingsbury, who was a senior offensive assistant at Southern California last season, appeared in line for the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive coordinator job but reportedly pulled his name from consideration and quickly emerged as a top candidate for Washington. He takes over amid a top-to-bottom rebuild of the team that started last year with Josh Harris’s $6.05 billion purchase of the franchise and continued with the hiring of General Manager Adam Peters in January.

Washington turned to Quinn largely because of his leadership, experience and success on the defensive side, but Kingsbury could have an even greater impact on the team’s trajectory. Washington is coming off a 4-13 season and has not posted a winning record since 2016. It has churned through 14 starting quarterbacks over the past decade and sorely needs an infusion of creativity and player development on offense. Kingsbury has a record of both.

A former Texas Tech quarterback drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round in 2003, Kingsbury spent the better part of four seasons in the NFL, primarily as a practice squad player. He played in the Canadian Football League briefly, then turned to coaching, starting as a quality control coach at the University of Houston in 2008.

Kingsbury, 44, was later elevated to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, then jumped to Texas A&M, where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and worked with 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. In 2013, Kingsbury was hired as his alma mater’s coach and helped develop first-round quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield with the Red Raiders.

After Kingsbury was fired following the 2018 season, the Cardinals grabbed him to be their coach in 2019, the same year they selected quarterback Kyler Murray with the draft’s first pick. The Cardinals went 28-37-1 in four seasons under Kingsbury before firing him in January 2023. He joined USC three months later and worked with 2022 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, whom the Commanders will eye closely as the draft nears.

Kingsbury has modified his offense over the years to be a pro-style Air Raid. His scheme gives the appearance of a more modern-day spread offense, but it doesn’t discount the running game. In 2020 and 2021, the Cardinals ranked sixth and seventh in rushing attempts, an aspect that was missing in Washington’s offense last season. But how he tailors his scheme to Washington’s personnel remains to be seen, in part because Washington’s personnel figures to be in flux, too.

The Commanders have five picks in the first three rounds of the draft. They also are projected to have the most salary cap space in the NFL, giving them plenty of room to add talent.

Kingsbury will be Washington’s third play caller and coordinator in as many years, following Scott Turner, who ran an Air Coryell system from 2020 to 2022, and Eric Bieniemy, who ran a West Coast offense in 2023. Bieniemy has another year on his contract and seems likely to be let go after Kingsbury’s arrival.

Svrluga: The Commanders got Dan Quinn. Now they need a top offensive mind.

Whitt, 45, follows Quinn for the second time to take over a Commanders defense that struggled in nearly every facet last season. A former walk-on wide receiver at Auburn, Whitt began coaching in 2000 and joined the pro ranks as assistant defensive backs coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. After 11 seasons as a defensive assistant for the Green Bay Packers, with whom he won Super Bowl XLV, and a year with the Cleveland Browns, Whitt returned to Atlanta as the secondary coach and passing game coordinator under Quinn. He kept that title when he joined Quinn with Dallas in 2021.

Whitt and Quinn helped transform a Cowboys defense that ranked 28th in points allowed and 23rd in yards allowed in 2020 into a group that led the league in interceptions and finished seventh in points allowed in 2021. Last season, the Cowboys ranked fifth in total yards, passing yards and points allowed. The Commanders ranked last in all three categories.

Although Quinn pulled the strings for the Cowboys’ defense last year, it’s unclear whether he plans to call the coverages as Washington’s coach; he did so intermittently for Atlanta. More pressing, it seems, was ensuring his coordinator was familiar with his system and that he quickly assembled his staff to begin a full evaluation of the roster and the team’s plans to revamp it.

Peters, who will orchestrate the Commanders’ rebuild, said at his introductory news conference that he views this situation similar to that of the 2017 San Francisco 49ers, who also had the second draft pick (they traded down), a new coach (Kyle Shanahan) and a new GM (John Lynch).

“We’re going to be very process-driven and diligent in who we select in free agency,” Peters said. “But we’re going to build through the draft here. ... It’s having an aligned vision, having collaboration, having inclusion with everybody, everybody pulling in the same direction.”

On Sunday at around 8 p.m., Peters waited at Dulles International Airport to greet Quinn as he stepped off a private jet. Less than an hour later, word got out about Kingsbury’s and Whitt’s agreements.