Devin Duvernay made clear this week that he still plans to be a weapon on kick and punt returns as he begins Year 7 in the NFL, but he has no intention of being pigeonholed as only a special-teams specialist. Speaking Thursday on the "Wolf & Luke" radio show, Duvernay said his priority is to "find a role on offense, earning the trust of my teammates, my coaches" while continuing to contribute on special teams. "I plan on doing all of that, helping any way I can, being the ultimate team player," he said, emphasizing a willingness to do whatever the Cardinals need as he joins a new organization on a one-year deal he signed in March.
Guest speaks into a microphone on Arizona Sports' 'Wolf & Luke' radio show, discussing plans to expand his role with the Arizona Cardinals beyond return duties.
Duvernay arrives in Arizona off the back of a season in Chicago when he was leaned on heavily as a return man. In that lone year with the Bears he produced a career-high 61 total returns — 40 kickoffs and 21 punts — and posted a career-best kick return average of 26.7 yards. He was especially productive in the postseason, recording five returns for 138 yards (27.6 yards per return) across Chicago’s two playoff games. Those numbers underline why teams still view him as a premier option in the return game, and Duvernay says he will continue to provide that value.
Still, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound veteran stressed that he expects to be a part of the Cardinals’ passing attack as well, through both designed opportunities and earning trust in practice and meetings. "For sure. Yeah, I expect to continue doing that at a high level," Duvernay said when asked about his offensive role. Arizona’s offense is under new management with first-year head coach Mike LaFleur calling the plays, and early impressions of the system and personnel have been positive. Duvernay indicated he wants to be more than a one-phase player and will work to carve out a place among the team’s receiving options.
The Cardinals’ receiving group is deep on paper. Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. headline the unit alongside Kendrick Bourne, and when the conversation expands to all pass-catching options it includes tight end Trey McBride and No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love — the latter viewed as someone who could draw a handful of targets per game. That collection of talent means there will be competition for snaps and targets, and Duvernay acknowledged that roles can look very different once training camp begins. "Rolling into training camp, I feel like that’s really where you find your identity," he said. "(You) kind of find out who people are, what this team is going to be about. And obviously you’re not a finished product. You’re still kind of climbing and growing."
Duvernay’s receiving production earlier in his career demonstrates an ability to contribute as a pass-catcher when utilized. Across his first three seasons with Baltimore, the 2020 third-round pick totaled 90 receptions for 880 yards. His usage diminished over the subsequent three seasons, however, with just 17 receptions in that span and only two starts lined up at wideout. Even with limited opportunities, his hands have been reliable — he has just four career drops — which Duvernay and coaches will likely point to as they evaluate how best to deploy him in offensive packages and situational reps.
Quarterbacking the offense is still a question mark. Arizona enters the offseason with Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew and third-round pick Carson Beck in the mix, and with training camp still weeks away there is not yet a clear starter. Brissett, who started 12 games last season, had not reported for offseason team activities at the time Duvernay spoke, so Beck continued to work with first-team players and take valuable reps. Duvernay has been encouraged by what he’s seen from Beck so far, highlighting maturity and physical traits as reasons for optimism. "His maturity has been standing out. He knows what he’s doing from what I can tell," Duvernay said. "I think the sky’s going to be the limit."
On Beck’s physical profile, Duvernay added: "You can obviously tell (he’s got) the physical attributes. He’s tall, a bigger guy, strong arm, so looking forward to what he’s able to produce, especially in training camp, in preseason." With voluntary team work in progress — the third session of the voluntary slate fell on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday before a mandatory minicamp slated for June 8-10 — Beck will continue to rotate reps with the more established options while the staff evaluates who best fits their offensive plan. Duvernay’s own path to more offensive responsibility likely will follow a similar pattern: perform consistently in practice, show chemistry with the quarterbacks, and earn more snaps as camp progresses.
Off the field, Duvernay’s arrival in Arizona came within a week of another family development in the NFL: his cousin, former Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, agreed to a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings. The proximity of those transactions stirred some local interest, but Duvernay’s focus, he said, remains solely on preparing for training camp and proving his worth across phases of the game. He reiterated that he will continue to return kicks and punts while also seeking opportunities in the receiving game, and he framed the coming weeks as a time to establish where he fits on a roster that is still shaping its identity. As he put it, he plans to help "any way I can," aiming to be the kind of versatile contributor the Cardinals will call on throughout the season.