As anticipated, Kyler Murray is poised to sit out the beginning of the season due to his ongoing recovery process.
The Cardinals’ strategy involves designating their star quarterback to the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, a move that won’t affect the team’s active roster spots.
In preparation for the final cut-down to 53 players by Tuesday, Arizona has acquired Joshua Dobbs through a recent trade and he could potentially be the starting quarterback in Week 1 after Colt McCoy’s release.
Additionally, the roster includes Jeff Driskel and rookie Clayton Tune to provide depth. With Murray’s placement on the PUP list, he won’t be able to take the field for the first four games.
Consequently, the dynamic playmaker will miss the Week 1 opener against the Commanders in Washington, as well as the home matches against the Giants and Cowboys in Week 2 and Week 3, respectively.
Furthermore, he won’t participate in the team’s away game against the 49ers in Week 4.
The soonest Murray could return from the PUP list is for the Week 5 clash against the Bengals at State Farm Stadium.
Since suffering a torn ACL during a ‘Monday Night Football’ faceoff with the Patriots in Week 14 last season, Murray has been diligently rehabbing to regain full form.
Considering the injury occurred on December 12, it seemed unlikely he would recover in time for the start of the 2023 season, an expectation confirmed by yesterday’s announcement.
In the 2019 NFL Draft, Murray was chosen as the Cardinals’ first overall pick, making him the face of the franchise. Throughout his 57 regular season starts, he has achieved a 25-31-1 record for the team and experienced their only playoff appearance in the 2021 season.
During the previous offseason, Murray secured a massive five-year contract worth $230.5 million, effectively tying him to Arizona until the end of the 2028 season.
