What a difference a few years can make. Four years ago, DeMarco Murray was arguably the best running back in the NFL. On Friday, a little more than three years after signing a massive contract, Murray formally announced his retirement on ESPN’s “NFL Live”.
DeMarco Murray has announced his retirement from the NFL on ESPN's NFL Live. Since being drafted in 2011, Murray's production ranked among the best in the NFL.
During his career, he ranked 3rd in Rush attempts (1,604), 3rd in Rush yards (7,174) and 4th in Rush TD (49). pic.twitter.com/Ij2S4YNtW6
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 13, 2018
In his seven seasons, Murray made three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team. During the 2014 season, he led the league in rushing and earned the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.
While he rushed for 1,287 yards in 2016 with the Tennessee Titans, Murray’s best years came with the Dallas Cowboys. Hindsight is 20/20, but the running back probably would have been better off playing his entire career for “America’s Team.”
DeMarco Murray Shined With the Dallas Cowboys
The 2014 season was certainly Murray’s best. In addition to leading the NFL with 1,845 yards, he was also first with 2,261 yards from scrimmage and 13 rushing touchdowns.
But the former third-round pick was hardly a one-hit wonder. In four seasons with the Cowboys, Murray averaged 4.8 yards per carry. To put that in perspective, Mark Ingram and Kareem Hunt were the only running backs with more than 200 carries to average at least 4.8 yards per carry in 2017.
Murray hit that mark over a four-year period and averaged nearly 5.0 yards per rush in his final two seasons in Dallas. During his last 30 games with the Cowboys, Murray averaged 98.9 rushing yards per game and scored 23 touchdowns.
Dallas Cowboys and DeMarco Murray Split
Behind Murray’s tremendous season, the Cowboys posted a 12-4 record and were essentially a questionable “catch-no catch” ruling away from the NFC Championship Game. That contest took place in Seattle, where the Cowboys had already won that season.
Regardless, Murray’s career in Dallas was finished. The Cowboys had to choose between re-signing Murray or All-Pro wide receiver Dez Bryant, who was coming off arguably his best season too.
The Cowboys logic was sound. Having missed 11 games in four seasons, Murray was injury prone early in his career. He played every game in 2014 but dressed in December with a broken hand. The Cowboys also had the best offensive line in football and were hopeful a cheaper option in the backfield would do nearly as well.
That led Murray to sign a five-year, $42 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Murray and the Cowboys Weren’t the Same in 2016
Murray never found his footing with the Eagles, and eventually, coach Chip Kelly benched him. Kelly wouldn’t finish the season in Philadelphia, and the team traded him that off-season.
In one season with the Eagles, Murray rushed for just 702 yards and averaged 3.6 yards per carry.
The following season, Murray re-found his magic with the Titans, rushing for 1,287 yards and nine touchdowns. He was healthy that season too, playing all 16 games.
But in 2016, his rushing average still sat below 4.5, and then it dipped back well below 4.0 this past season. After being one of the most efficient backs in football from 2011-14, Murray averaged just 4.0 yards per carry during his final three seasons.
The 2015 season was full of disaster for the Cowboys too. Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle stepped in to take Murray’s place, and while McFadden did eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, the running game wasn’t the same.
Of course, it didn’t help that Tony Romo only played four games and never really recovered from his back issues.
That led to the Cowboys drafting Ezekiel Elliott with the number four pick in 2017. With Elliott leading the NFL in rushing yards per game over the last two seasons, the team has somewhat forgotten about Murray’s unfortunate departure, but there’s still no denying the two missed each other.
The NFL is a business. Murray’s departure from Dallas was the smartest move for both sides. But it would have been better for Murray had he stayed.
If that had happened, like Elliott, perhaps he would have led the league in rushing yards per game the last two seasons. And maybe, just maybe, he would still be playing.
