Pro Football Rumors
Has Kyler Murray played his last snap in Arizona?
That question has spread across the NFL in the wake of the latest developments regarding the Cardinals’ star quarterback. If Murray were to become available in the offseason, he would immediately become one of the biggest names on the annual quarterback carousel.
To recap: the Cardinals won their first two games of the year with Murray under center, albeit against easier opponents. They then lost three straight to the 49ers, Seahawks, and Titans by a combined five points. Murray injured his foot against the Titans, but he only missed a few snaps before finishing the game. He missed the next two weeks with reports of a Lisfranc-related injury raising concern about a longer absence, and did not play in Week 9 despite hopes of a post-bye return. In Murray’s absence, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett led the Cardinals offense to three of their four highest points and yardage totals of the season, though only one of those games ended in victory. Brissett’s passer rating, yards per attempt, and touchdown-to-interception ratio all outpace his younger teammate, too.
That clearly stirred some discussions in Arizona. First, head coach Jonathan Gannon said earlier this week that “nothing’s changed” regarding Murray and the team’s quarterback situation, indicating that the former No. 1 overall pick would play once he was healthy. The next day, Gannon seemed to change his tune when he announced that Brissett would remain the starter, which was quickly explained Murray’s subsequent move to injured reserve.
It is unclear what happens next. Murray will be on IR until at least Week 14. He was diagnosed with “a mid-foot sprain in the area of a Lisfranc injury,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Nothing is broken or dislocated, but a partially torn ligament and the resulting swelling need more time to fully heal. Murray’s limited participation in practice for the last few weeks suggests that he could play if it was absolutely necessary, but the risk of re-injury has steered the Cardinals down the cautious path.
General manager Monti Ossenfort is expecting Murray to return this season, but whether or not he regains his starting job will be determined at a later date. The Cardinals’ performance in the meantime could be a major factor in that decision. Despite a 2-5 start, they refused to consider selling players at the trade deadline due to a minus-13 point differential that suggested they were better than their record. Monday night’s 10-point primetime win in Dallas supported that theory.
However, Murray’s absence features a tough slate of matchups for the Cardinals. Their next four opponents have a combined 23-11 record on the season, and they have already lost to two of those teams: the 49ers and the Seahawks. Arizona could be all-but-eliminated from the playoff picture by the time Murray is ready to play.
At that point, it may not make sense to put him back on the field. And if the Cardinals have stayed in the hunt, it...
