After opening the season with two straight wins, the Arizona Cardinals have since dropped five in a row. Three of those losses came with Kyler Murray under center. At the same time, two occurred with backup Jacoby Brissett filling in as the franchise QB, who dealt with a foot injury. And in limited action, Brissett has arguably looked sharper than Murray.
Now, as the Cardinals prepare for a Monday Night Football showdown against the Dallas Cowboys, all signs point to Murray returning to the starting role. But on Thursday, the team unexpectedly postponed his scheduled media availability. This move immediately sparked speculation among fans that the former No. 1 pick could get benched.
Media Delay Fuels Questions About Kyler Murray’s Job Security
Murray suffered a mid-foot sprain in the Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans and has been sidelined since. However, he appears to have recovered and was trending toward a return against the Cowboys after being spotted throwing to the Cardinals’ top receivers in practice.
According to Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com, it was the first time in several weeks Murray had been seen working with the first-team offense.
But the twist came after practice, when Murray’s scheduled media appearance was abruptly canceled. Instead, the team announced that a Cardinals “quarterback” would be available later in the week. The wording immediately fueled speculation, as it referenced a generic QB rather than Murray by name.
“Did Kyler Murray get benched?” one fan asked online.
Did Kyler Murray get benched? https://t.co/JDCOduUQlT
— Zach Sports (@zachsports503) October 31, 2025
Others speculated about a potential trade. For now, though, it appears the Cardinals are simply waiting for Murray to be fully cleared. He was limited in Thursday’s practice and is officially questionable for the game. Still, head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed that Murray is “doing well,” and said the team is preparing him to start on Monday.
Before his injury, Murray’s season had its ups and downs. Through five games, he completed 68.3% of his passes for 962 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions, adding 173 rushing yards and a score on the ground. He currently ranks 18th in PFSN’s QB Impact metric.
In Murray’s absence, Brissett has completed 64.2% of his passes for 599 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in two starts. While Arizona narrowly lost both games, Brissett ranks 10th in QBi. His nYPA sits at 6.80, compared to Murray’s 5.30, which ranks 32nd in the league.
Brissett’s third-down conversion rate is also higher. However, the limited sample size, combined with Murray’s experience and franchise status, means the Cardinals are still committed to their starter. However, in six seasons, Murray has led the team to just one winning record and has played in only one postseason game. Make of that what you will.
