Report sheds light on Kyler Murray’s future with Cardinals

Dec 5, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Cardinals opened Kyler Murray’s practice window this week, but it remains unclear when the star quarterback will return to game action. There have also been questions about Murray’s future with the franchise.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, it will likely be several weeks before Murray appears in a game. There is a chance the former first overall pick will play either Nov. 5 against the Cleveland Browns or Nov. 12 against the Atlanta Falcons. The Cardinals are not going to rush it with Murray, who suffered a torn ACL last December.

Rapoport also noted that “all options are on the table” for 2024. The Cardinals are 1-5 and could very well land the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft. That would put them in position to draft another potential franchise quarterback if general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon, who inherited Murray, decide they want to make a change.

Murray has five years and roughly $182 million remaining on the $230.5 million contract he signed prior to last season. Assuming the 26-year-old comes back healthy, he probably would draw plenty of trade interest from quarterback-needy teams.

One NFL insider predicted that the Cardinals would keep Murray sidelined for the entire 2023 season for contractual reasons. It does not sound like that is the plan, whether the team sticks with Murray long term or not.