The Arizona Cardinals activated quarterback Kyler Murray from the physically unable to play list this week.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters Murray will practice with the starters on Monday and play against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, barring any setbacks.
“Kyler will continue to improve” Gannon said. “He’ll do the one repeat. If the week goes well, he will start on Sunday.”
“We’re happy with where he’s at right now. We’ll see how the week goes.”
Kyler Murray is expected to start Sunday for the first time since tearing his right ACL last season. (Michael Owens/Getty Images) (Michael Owens via Getty Images)
Murray tore his ACL in his right knee in a Week 14 game against the New England Patriots last December. He missed the final four games of Arizona’s 2022 season and the first nine games of this season.
The Cardinals have used Joshua Dobbs and rookie Clayton Tune at quarterback this season in Murray’s absence. Dobbs started the Cardinals’ first eight games before they traded him to the Minnesota Vikings before the trade deadline last week. Tune made his first NFL start in Sunday’s 27-0 loss to the Cleveland Browns. He completed 11 of 20 passes for 58 yards with two interceptions.
Murray returns to a 1-8 Cardinals team with the worst record in the NFL and no reasonable playoff hope. Murray, the former No. 1 pick in the draft, is a two-time Pro Bowler who was named rookie of the year in 2019 as a dual-threat quarterback.
Before his injury last season, he showed signs of regression while averaging a career-low 6.1 yards per pass attempt with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions in a 3-8 Cardinals start. He is playing on a $230 million contract extension that he signed in 2022 and runs through the 2028 season.
The Cardinals may be at a crossroads with Murray after parting ways with head coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim last offseason. The franchise hired Kingsbury to run its offense with Murray and drafted Murray under Keim’s supervision.
They could use the final eight games of the season to assess where they stand with Murray in a new regime, with Gannon as head coach and highly touted quarterback prospects Caleb Williams and Drake Maye expected to be available in next year’s draft .