Kyler Murray was placed on injured reserve this week and will be absent until at least the 14th week. The Arizona Cardinals quarterback hasn't played since Week 5 with a foot injury, and with Jacoby Brissett remaining in the starting lineup, questions are beginning to arise about Murray's future with the franchise.
During Friday's appearance on Wolf and Luke from Arizona Sports, Cardinals general manager Monty Ossenfort did not say that Murray would automatically reclaim the No. 1 job once he comes off IR.
“When we put a guy on IR, it will be in four weeks,” Ossenfort said. “A lot can happen between now and then. I think Jacoby has done a great job running our offense. We expect us to continue to do the same. But Jacoby has put himself in a good position for where we're going offensively. Once Kyler gets healthy … we'll evaluate when we get to that point.”
Ossenfort said he believes Murray will be available for the remainder of the regular season and that the quarterback is “doing everything possible to improve his health.”
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At 3-5 in the NFC West, the Cardinals have nine games to play and hope to make the playoffs when Murray is eligible to return Dec. 7 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Even if Murray returns and plays for the Cardinals this season, questions about his future with the club will continue into the offseason.
Murray is guaranteed $36.8 million through the 2026 season. He could be guaranteed $19.5 million of his base salary in 2027 if he remains on the Cardinals' roster five days after the start of the new NFL league year in mid-March. If Arizona releases him before June 1, they will have to pay a dead cap hit of $57.7 million. For an issue after June 1, the dead cap would be $50.5 million in 2026 and $7.2 million in 2027.
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Trading Murray would net the Cardinals $35.3 million in salary cap savings and just $17.9 million in dead money. according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon were not on the Cardinals' roster when Murray was selected with the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft or when he signed with the Cardinals. five year extension in 2022.
Arizona started 2-3, with Murray completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 192.4 yards per game with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He added 29 carries for 173 yards (six yards per carry) and one touchdown on the ground.
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The Cardinals are 1-2 in games Brissett has started. A 10-year veteran with solid NFL starting experience, Brissett completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 286.7 yards per game with six touchdowns and one interception.
In Brissett's three starts, the Cardinals are averaging 25.7 points per game compared to 20.6 in Murray's five starts. Ossenfort is encouraged by the team's recent performance and hopes Arizona can rise to the top under the guidance of an experienced player.
“We’ve made some progress over the last few weeks,” Ossenfort said. “Jacoby played a big role in that. We had other guys step up and fill roles. I think we put guys in good positions to make plays. We were able to do that. And so we'll continue to do that.”
“It was fun to watch, it was fun to watch. Jacoby is a professional. He's been in the league a long time. He's been in this position before. So it's been fun to watch and hopefully we can continue this weekend in Seattle.”
