Cardinals nearing big decision with Kyler Murray?
Oct 24, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) against the Houston Texans in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
There have been questions about whether Kyler Murray will play at all during the 2023 season, but it sounds like the Arizona Cardinals quarterback could take a big step toward returning to the field in the near future.
Murray, who is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered late last season, became eligible to be removed from the physically unable to perform list more than two weeks ago. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM in Phoenix said Tuesday that he expects Murray to be activated from the PUP list either later this week or next week.
Barring a setback, I would expect that Cardinals Quarterback Kyler Murray will come off the PUP list either this week or next week. He is close! Will talk more about this on the @BurnsAndGambo show today starting at straight up 2'oclock.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) October 17, 2023
Players who are placed on the PUP list must miss four games. Then they have a five-week window to begin practicing. After the player begins practicing, a team has three weeks to add the player to the 53-man roster. If the player never returns to practice or never gets added to the active roster during either window, the player must remain on the PUP list for the rest of the season.
Murray suffered a torn ACL last December, so it was never realistic for him to be ready for Week 1 this season. However, some believe the situation is more complicated than it seems.
The Cardinals are 1-5 and have been rolling with Josh Dobbs at quarterback this season. One NFL insider predicted that Arizona would keep Murray sidelined all year for contractural reasons and then part ways with him. If that were the team’s plan, they would want as high of a draft pick as possible next year.
Of course, even if the Cardinals do want to trade Murray, they will likely have to prove to rival teams that the former No. 1 overall pick is healthy. The only way they can do that is by having Murray play at some point before the end of the season.