Cardinals Won’t Activate QB Kyler Murray From PUP List To Start Season

According to Ian Rapoport, the Cardinals won’t activate QB Kyler Murray from the PUP list by Tuesday’s deadline.

That means Murray will miss at least the first four games of the regular season before he’s eligible to return.

Things had been trending this way, as Arizona has proceeded cautiously with Murray as he works his way back from a torn ACL sustained last December. 

Torn ACLs usually take nine to 12 months after surgery to rehab, so the early side of that timeline would put Murray back in September. Every player recovers differently, however, and Murray is more reliant on his legs than other quarterbacks. 

The Cardinals recently traded for veteran QB Joshua Dobbs, who is an option to start along with fifth-round rookie QB Clayton Tune. Veteran QB Colt McCoy is being released in a move that’s more surprising than Murray staying on the PUP list. 

Murray, 26, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Cardinals after making the decision to pursue an NFL career, despite being drafted in the first round by the Oakland A’s in 2018. 

Murray signed a four-year, $35,158,644 deal that included a $23,589,924 signing bonus. The Cardinals officially exercised his fifth-year option which is projected to be worth $29.7 million for the 2023 season. 

Murray signed a five-year, $230.5 million extension that includes $160 million guaranteed with Arizona last summer. 

In 2022, Murray appeared in 11 games for the Cardinals and completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 2,368 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go along with 418 yards receiving and three touchdowns.

We’ll have more on Murray as the news is available.