Though the Arizona Cardinals are 1-8 on the season, they might be getting a major boost in Week 10 as standout quarterback Kyler Murray is expected to make his return to the lineup, according to a report from NFL Network’s Omar Ruiz.
Cardinals’ first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon announced Monday during his session with the media that Murray will take reps with the starters throughout the week leading up to the matchup with the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10, and that “if all goes well” Murray will be back under center as the starting quarterback in Arizona.
Murray is slated to be activated from the Physically Unable To Perform list on Wednesday, according to Cardinals’ team website reporter Darren Urban.
With Murray set to return to the starting lineup Sunday, that puts him in line to be under center when the Arizona Cardinals travel to Pittsburgh on December 3 to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.
Murray’s return to the lineup will mark the first time the former No. 1 overall pick out of Oklahoma is under center since tearing his ACL on Dec. 12, 2022 against the New England Patriots, ending his 2022 season early. His return comes at a great time for the Cardinals, who are 1-8 on the season and really struggled in Week Nine against the Cleveland Browns less than a week after trading starting quarterback Josh Dobbs to the Minnesota Vikings, inserting rookie Clayton Tune into the lineup.
Tune was a mess against Cleveland, though that’s not an easy defense to make your debut against. In the 27-0 loss to the Browns, Tune was just 11-for-20 for 58 yards and two interceptions in the loss. Meanwhile, Dobbs was the story of the weekend, leading the Vikings to a comeback win over the Falcons despite not getting any practice reps with Minnesota after the trade.
Murray’s return will be a big boost to Arizona. In his career, he’s thrown for 13,848 yards, 84 touchdowns, and 41 interceptions, adding another 2,204 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on 381 career carries. He’s 25-31-1 in 57 career starts for the Cardinals and is in the second year of a 5-year, $230.5 million extension he signed on July 21, 2022.
In his career against the Steelers, Murray is 0-1. He completed 20-of-30 passes for 194 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions while being sacked five times in a 23-17 loss to the Black and Gold.
