Revenge of the Birds
So, the quarterback circus going forward is now solved. Well, at least for the next four weeks.
The back and forth between whether Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett would be the starting quarterback ended on Wednesday when the franchise placed Murray on IR in an effort to get him more time to heal for an ankle injury he suffered in the Tennessee Titans game in Week 5.
RELATED: CARDINALS PLACE MURRAY ON IR
Brissett is now the undisputed starting signalcaller for at least a month. The offense has been successful in the three games he has controlled the game plan, including defeating the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The 27-17 score wasn’t really that close, as the Cardinals’ defense came alive and did not falter late in the game for a change.
The receivers are now getting more involved in the offense, along with the sure hands of TE Trey McBride. The offensive line has done a decent job, although there were spurts on pass protection that need to be addressed. Brissett is a patient pocket QB who will run or scramble when needed, but prefers to continue to look downfield.
After the Cowboys win, Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon indicated that Murray would remain his starter. He addressed this twice during his post-game press conference. But after getting back to the practice facility, doctors examined Murray. On Tuesday night, the conversation regarding the next step began.
On Wednesday, after a pow-wow with all concerned, it was decided to rest Murray and wait until he is 100% healthy before he can hit the field again. So, he was added to IR for a minimum of four weeks.
Okay. One issue solved, if just for a short spell.
Brissett is now the second-lowest-paid starting quarterback in the league. His cap hit for this year is $5.31 million. Rookie Tyler Shough of the New Orleans Saints is now starting with a cap hit of $1.97 million.
Next up on the agenda: what happens if something happens to Brissett?
The subject is no longer who the starter is between Murray and Brissett, and the one not chosen would become the backup. But now, who will back up the backup?
Currently, Kedon Slovis has been listed as QB3. Does he slide up to backup? Or do the Cardinals bring in a guy who has more experience?
His measurables are 6’-2” and 223 pounds. He went undrafted in the 2024 NFL draft out of BYU and is considered a Pro Style QB. He is a local kid, having grown up in Scottsdale, where he went to Desert Mountain High School.
Slovis became the starter in his junior and senior seasons. His high school stats include 5,549 yards with 50 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. His QB coach was Cardinals Hall of Famer Kurt Warner. After his senior season, he was named to the PrepStar All-Western Region Team and was an All-Academic honorable.
He had 12 college offers as...
