Cardinals HC Suggests Kyler Murray Could Return to Practice amid Knee Injury Recovery

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who is rehabbing from a torn ACL, may appear on the practice field shortly.

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon expressed optimism on Murray's potential imminent return during his weekly appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM's Burns & Gambo show.

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic relayed the remarks.

"Yeah, he's doing a good job. I like the week that he had," Gannon said Monday. "We've got to kind of see here the next couple days, see how tonight goes and tomorrow goes, and again, though, we're not rushing that. We're making sure that he feels good about going out there, but he's trending in the right direction."

Murray could get back as soon as Wednesday, which marks the Cardinals' first practice prior to a game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Murray began the year on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list as he continued to recover from the torn ACL, which he suffered on a scramble during a Dec. 12, 2022 matchup against the New England Patriots.

A return to practice would trigger a 21-day window for the Cardinals to put Murray on the 53-man roster. If Murray is unable to go after that stretch, then he would remain on the PUP list for the rest of the year.

Murray, a two-time Pro Bowler, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. The 26-year-old has completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 84 touchdowns (41 interceptions) and 242.9 yards per game over his career. He's a two-time Pro Bowler who also earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2019.

With Murray out, the 1-5 Cardinals have turned to Josh Dobbs, who has completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 1,215 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. His 84.0 quarterback rating ranks 21st among 33 qualifiers.

It appears that Dobbs could be making way for Murray soon enough, but there's hurdles left for the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner to clear before he plays.

Gannon told Arizona Sports that he needs to see the following before Murray gets back on the practice field:

"Just to make sure that before the mental gets put on him of playing football, to make sure the physical is right," Gannon said.

"Just all the different things that he does as a player and what he wants to be able to do playing the position, to make sure we can simulate that as much as we can without being out there playing football but that he feels comfortable with everything that he's going to need to be able to do to function."

Gannon also appreciates the work he's put in to get back onto the field and answered positively when asked if he was mentally ready to return to the field.

"Yeah, I do," Gannon said. "But you've got to play football, too. We understand there's going to be a little of a learning curve, a new system for him. He hasn't taken a snap in this offense. I like the plan with kind of how we have it structured and the work that he's been putting in during practice, in meetings, the extra time spent in the morning and at night.

"I mean, this guy is a competitor. He's doing a lot to get himself as mentally and physically ready as he can before he goes out there and practices. And I really appreciate him for that because he puts the work in, I know that."

Hypothetically, if Murray's practice window started Wednesday, then he'd have until Wednesday, Nov. 8 to be placed onto the active roster. That perhaps means a return for the Cardinals' Week 10 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 12.

For now, though, Murray is clearly taking positive steps toward returning to the field.