Former Cardinals GM Says Nick Bosa Warned Him Not To Draft Kyler Murray

In 2019, the Arizona Cardinals had a decision to make.

With the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, the team was reportedly on the fence between quarterback Kyler Murray and defensive end Nick Bosa.

So when young Bosa visited with then-GM Steve Keim and then-Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury, he was happy to give them some advice.

Keim described the encounter to FS1's Colin Cowherd Friday.

"So we're leaving the dinner and we're walking out of Maestro's in Fort Lauderdale," Keim said. "I'll never forget, (Bosa) puts his arm around me and Kliff Kingsbury — both of us — in basically a headlock and he said, 'I think you guys are probably gonna end up taking that little quarterback (Kyler Murray). And if you do … I will haunt you for the rest of your career."

Well, then.

The Cardinals did, in fact, take that little quarterback No. 1 overall, while Bosa went to the San Francisco 49ers with the second pick.

But Keim said the decision to pass on Bosa didn't come lightly.

"We loved him obviously, highest graded guy on the board," Keim said. "Amazing in every way — the only thing you had to say as a negative was probably if he had an injury in the future, which you couldn't forecast."

Choose your fighter. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

But did things work out the way Bosa predicted?

Well, not quite.

The 49ers are 4-3 against the Cardinals when Nick Bosa plays. He has sacked Kyler Murray just once in his career.

Still — life is pretty good for Bosa. The Niners made it to the NFC Championship last season, despite injuries to every quarterback on their roster. And they don't seem to be slowing down in 2023.

Murray, on the other hand, has proven to be a polarizing figure in Arizona. And, aside from an 11-6 campaign in 2021, the team hasn't found much success behind their franchise quarterback.

Maybe Bosa was onto something, after all.