The Arizona Cardinals finally decided on quarterback Kyler Murray on Wednesday afternoon. Coach Jonathan Gannon announced Murray will be placed on injured reserve (IR). The decision comes after a couple of weeks of uncertainty and questions around Arizona’s quarterback position and Murray’s injury.
Gannon remained steadfast on Murray being the starter once he was healthy. After announcing Jacoby Brissett as the starter on Tuesday, the Cardinals’ head coach announced Murray will hit the IR on Wednesday.
What is Kyler Murray’s Injury Status?
The Cardinals are placing Murray on the IR, and he will miss a minimum of four weeks. “Kyler’s going to go on IR. I feel like that’s the best thing for him and for us,” Gannon said. “He’s not fully healthy, ready to go yet. So, that makes the most sense.”
Murray has been dealing with his ankle injury since he left the Cardinals’ game against the Tennessee Titans. He returned to that game, but has missed the three games since. Gannon shut down any questions last week and on Tuesday about injured reserve or shutting Murray down for the season. However, things have changed now.
“Obviously that’s a change, but we just felt, looking at it right now, that’s the best thing for him and us, like I just said,” Gannon said. “He’s fully committed. Right now, what he’s going to focus on is getting healthy. He’s not healthy enough to play. He needs to get healthy, so he can get back to playing football.”
Murray was a limited practice participant last week, but was inactive for Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. This seems like the beginning of the end of Murray’s career in Arizona, but Gannon did say Murray could return near the end of the season.
In the meantime, Brissett has been named the starter for Week 10 and looks to be the Cardinals’ starting quarterback moving forward. Despite Brissett only starting three games this year and being a career backup, his teammates believe in him.
The Cardinals signed tight end Pharaoh Brown to their practice squad this offseason, and he’s been able to watch Brissett throughout the season.
“Jacoby’s a pro, man,” Brown told PFSN’s Allison Koehler. “Great communicator, great leader, just understands the game at a high level. I’ve seen him step into tough situations before and play good football. He’s consistent, and that’s why he’s still here doing it.”
The Cardinals’ passing offense has been much better over the last three weeks with Brissett at quarterback. The veteran is ranked No. 10 among all quarterbacks in the NFL, according to PFSN’s QB Impact, and is averaging more than 230 passing yards per game.
Brissett told the media on Wednesday that he’s cherishing the opportunity to start in the NFL again, and now he’ll have at least four more weeks to do so.