Kyler Murray‘s MRI confirmed the worst. The Pro Bowl passer suffered a torn ACL during the first quarter of the Cardinals’ loss to the Patriots, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Kliff Kingsbury confirmed the tear Tuesday afternoon.
This will shut down Arizona’s recently extended quarterback until at least training camp, and given the timing here, a return by Week 1 of next season may not be a guarantee. This is a brutal blow for Murray and the team, coming months after his landmark extension.
Although Murray has missed time as a pro, this will obviously be new rehab territory. The former No. 1 overall pick had been on an upward trajectory since his senior season at Oklahoma produced a Heisman Trophy and convinced him to eschew a baseball career — after being chosen ninth overall in the 2018 MLB draft — for an NFL run. Murray, 25, checked a new box for the modern Cardinals — a homegrown franchise quarterback — and led the team to the playoffs last season, en route to that five-year, $230.5MM extension. Not much has gone smoothly since that through-2028 deal came to pass, however, and this injury will now define Murray’s next offseason.
Monday’s events make Murray’s push for a new contract this past offseason pivotal. While quarterbacks re-establishing their previous form following ACL tears is almost expected at this point, Murray did well to secure $103.3MM fully guaranteed ($160MM in total guarantees) this summer. Rather than going into an uncertain fifth-year option season in 2023, the former two-sport standout parlayed the momentum from his back-to-back Pro Bowls into a windfall. Strong returns did not exactly emerge from the deal in Year 1, but Murray agreeing to terms months after becoming extension-eligible serves as tremendous protection.
The Cardinals will turn to Colt McCoy to close out their disappointing season. McCoy, 36, re-signed on a two-year, $7.5MM accord this offseason. McCoy’s performance last season filling in for Murray, who had sustained a hamstring injury midway through the 2021 campaign, landed him $6MM guaranteed. He will be in position to hold down the fort during OTAs and minicamp — and quite possibly training camp — for a Cardinals team that may be in transition.
Kingsbury advocated for Murray three years ago, pushing GM Steve Keim to draft him despite the team having just used a top-10 pick on a quarterback (Josh Rosen) the year prior. Nick Bosa‘s status notwithstanding, the Cards were right to bail on Rosen so soon. But Kingsbury’s chances of returning in 2023 may have taken a hit after Murray’s injury. Already viewed as uncertain to return, the former Texas Tech HC will not have a chance to oversee a strong Murray finish. It is worth wondering if Kingsbury — his offseason extension aside — will still be calling the shots when Murray is healthy again.
Murray and Kingsbury have clashed this season, and after being an original-ballot Pro Bowler in 2020 and ’21, the former took a step back in 2022. Murray closes the year averaging a career-low 6.1 yards per attempt, leading to a career-worst 51.2 QBR figure. Murray ranks 21st in that metric. Of course, the Cardinals rarely had the chance to deploy their optimal skill-position corps around their starter this season. DeAndre Hopkins missed six games because of a PED suspension, and just as the All-Pro wideout returned, trade acquisition Marquise Brown was suddenly unavailable because of a foot injury. Zach Ertz has missed the past several games, having also suffered a torn ACL.
The Cardinals have Hopkins, Ertz, Brown and James Conner under contract for 2023. Brown will be heading into the final year of his rookie deal. While a chance for that group to play together remains on the table, Murray and Ertz being set for extensive rehab processes stands to cloud Arizona’s immediate future — especially in the wake of the team taking a major step back from a 2021 playoff appearance.
That turf in AZ is terrible. Hopefully Murray can fully recover.
It’s grass lol
It looks like a ping pong table.
Grass can still be “terrible turf”.
Signed, Heinz Field/Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh.
Turf is fake grass. Grass is grass.
Marijuana is grass
Scotts must be embarrassed by naming its lawn fertilizer “Turf Builder.”
Of course they do that they’re appealing to idiots
Just wait ’till Brad Zoe is at a surf n’ turf
steelers almost never have serious knee injuries on the field.
the complaint at Heinz Field is Pitt plays the night before so kickers have issues with the scruff.
Grass is also referred to turf.
The entire organization Mgmt starting with the blow hard drunkard Keim needs to go.
I enjoy watching QB’s that can run. But when a big part of your game is stripped because of injuries, they better learn to be pocket passers.
What makes you so sure ge won’t be able to run when he comes back?
I’m sure he will. But by 27 will he be able to run? Lamar is now back to back season missing games due to leg injuries. Don’t you think they will affect his running as he gets older?
it was a non contact injury, he was running with nobody within 10 feet of him and it happened, nothing he could do to avoid it
Which is exactly what made it so hard for to watch it happen.
Well, that and my DraftKings account balance going down faster than Kyler.
Yes I saw it, he was running. That’s my point, thank you. When that part of his game is eliminated what’s next? Look at Russ, 31-32 years old. Garbage now.
I figured your point was that mobile qbs should stop running so much because they are getting injured
I wonder if there was an injury clause in Murray’s contract. If you think the staff is having a difficult time keeping the young man’s attention now, wait until he is told he has to sit and cannot participate while getting paid.
Not sure what the cure is for this as I advance through adulthood I find myself similarly unable to relate to younger generations. The tik tok people might as well be aliens to me. This would all be forgivable if this wasn’t like kingsbury’s dude, unless that whole thing was a ruse.
Couldn’t have happened to a smaller qb
LOL, nice
Chase Daniel begs to differ.
And no, Chase Daniel is not 6’ tall. I am 6’2” and Chase Daniel comes up to the bottom of my chin.
I don’t know who they were talking about this morning, but on Key, J Will, and Max this morning, they were talking about how a particular NFL coach said that there are no players in the NFL under 6’. It’s an unwritten rule, common knowledge kind of thing.
Except that there are. A lot of them.
Can’t have an article about Kyler Murray without a bizarre dig at his height.
Yeah. At least this one was somewhat funny?
Please ……
Any article that mentions Mark Davis has an inlay of hair comments so thick that I just let it sit for an hour. I then comeback and skim off the fat. You know like making stock.
welp he injury prone. good thing he signed an extension atleast I thought he did if not that gonna hurt his next contract. hope he returns properly