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The Force is strong with the Arizona Cardinals. It’s either that or they just like talking about “Star Wars.”
Coach Kliff Kingsbury continued what has been a theme at Cardinals press conferences this season when he jokingly addressed Kyler Murray’s lack of film study on the popular science fiction franchise.
“I was pretty heartbroken that Kyler’s never seen ‘Star Wars,’ ” Kingsbury told reporters Monday, September 20, “because from about age 4 to 9, I wanted nothing more than to be Luke Skywalker. I think he could learn something from that trilogy.”
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It wasn’t the first time Kingsbury has referenced a galaxy far, far away when talking about his team this season. On September 15, three days after Arizona’s season-opening win in Tennessee, the Cardinals coach called DeAndre Hopkins’ ability to get open in the end zone for the game’s first touchdown “some Jedi-type stuff.”
While chatting with reporters that same day, Murray had some fun with teammate Chandler Jones, calling him an “unorthodox guy” who “doesn’t look too good” when he takes off his shirt.
Jones responded by giving the 5-foot-10 QB the nickname “Baby Yoda” on Twitter and taking a shot at Murray’s new-look locks.
Gro-Who? QB Calls Celebration a Coincidence
Whether he likes it or not, the nickname seems to have stuck with Murray.
It appeared the quarterback had embraced the moniker when he sat down in the end zone to celebrate a touchdown against the Vikings with a Grogu-like meditation pose from the Disney Plus series “The Mandalorian.”
Murray didn’t explain the celebration when speaking with reporters after the game, but he denied its connection to Baby Yoda.
“I’ve never watched ‘Star Wars’ before,” the 24-year-old quarterback said. “I got to my phone and I see people talking about Baby Yoda. I had no clue what that was. I wasn’t intending to do that because of that.”
A Sack for the Red Power Ranger
Cardinals receiver Christian Kirk and linebacker Markus Golden also fielded “Star Wars”-related questions during media availability Tuesday, September 21.
It turns out neither are big fans of George Lucas’ space opera.
“I don’t think ‘Star Wars’ is my first choice,” Kirk told reporters. “I’m a big Batman fan. I think I was more of a Christian Bale/Bruce Wayne kind of guy.”
Kirk, 24, was one of the heroes in the Cardinals’ victory over the Vikings. With Arizona trailing 33-31 and facing a fourth-and-5 at the Vikings’ 41-yard line, he blew past Minnesota cornerback Mackensie Alexander and hauled in a 35-yard pass from Murray.
The catch set up a 27-yard field goal by Matt Prater to give Arizona a one-point lead with 4:25 left in the game. The Cardinals (2-0) ultimately escaped with the win after Vikings kicker Greg Joseph missed a 37-yard field goal as time expired.
Golden, who got his first sack of the season against the Vikings (0-2), said he also “wasn’t a ‘Star Wars’ guy” growing up.
“I always liked it, but I never really got into it,” said Golden, 30, now in his seventh NFL season.
Fittingly, his childhood heroes both wore red.
“When I was young, I liked the Red Power Ranger,” Golden said. “It would be the Power Ranger or Spider-Man for me.”
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