Arizona Cardinals Being Cautious With Quarterback Kyler Murray

The Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will not play in any of the team’s preseason games, beginning with Saturday’s home game against New Orleans.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray warms up on the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sept. 18, 2022. David Becker/AP Photo

The Arizona Cardinals want to keep franchise quarterback Kyler Murray healthy so he can potentially lead them into the playoffs season after returning from a devastating knee injury last season.

As a result, Murray will not play in any of the team’s preseason games, beginning with Saturday’s home game against the New Orleans Saints. Instead, Clayton Tune and Desmond Ridder, who started 13 games for the Falcons last season, will share the reps against New Orleans as they battle for the No. 2 job at quarterback behind Murray.

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon wants Murray fully ready for Week 1 regular-season game against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 8.

“I like how the offense is operating, and I think he will get done everything that he needs to get done to be the best version of himself on opening day,” Gannon told the media after practice on Tuesday after he decided to sit Murray.

Murray came to the Cardinals after winning the 2018 Heisman Trophy at the University of Oklahoma. Murray was selected ninth overall in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics and first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by Arizona. He chose to play professional football and won the 2019 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He is also a two-time Pro Bowler in 2020 and 2021 and four-time team captain.

However, Murray is 28-36-1 as the starter and led the team to one play appearance—a 34-11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the 2021 wild-card round. Murray went 19-for-34 for 137 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in that game.

However, the Cardinals could be on the upswing with Gannon, who is in his second year as the head coach. He implemented a new system for the offense, and Murray has been more comfortable with the playbook this offseason. Murray has been accurate with his throws and attacking the defense throughout training camp.

In addition, Arizona added a key playmaker for Murray with Marvin Harrison Jr., a two-time All-American wide receiver from Ohio State who was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Harrison could see some action in the first preseason game, and he has the potential to be a breakout player as a rookie.

The Cardinals are being extra cautious with Murray, who returned to the lineup in November after suffering a torn ACL the previous season. Murray completed 65.7 percent of his passes and had 224.9 passing yards per game with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions over the final eight games of 2023. The team also averaged 22.4 points and 362.8 yards per game over that stretch. Arizona had the NFL’s ninth-ranked offense under Murray compared to the No. 26-ranked offense (289.7 yards per game) before his return.

Murray was even better as the season progressed. In the final three games of the 2023 season, he completed 71 of 99 pass attempts (71.7 percent) for 724 yards, six touchdowns, and a 108.3 passer rating. Murray was also a dual-threat quarterback and rushed for 89 yards on 15 carries.

In the season finale in Week 17, he completed 25-of-31 pass attempts (80.6 percent) for 232 yards, three touchdowns, and a 116.7 passer rating in a 35–31 upset win over the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles. That performance marked Murray’s 12th career start in which he finished with a passer rating of 115.0 or higher, second in franchise history behind Neil Lomax (14).

“It was good to feel that (win),” Murray said after the Eagles game. “With everything that’s happened, a lot of disappointment this year, a lot of tough losses, but we want to try to finish the season off the right way.”

As a result, Gannon is not overly concerned about Murray missing the preseason games. The star quarterback will get a look at a different defense than his own when the Cardinals have joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts next week.

The entire preseason is being geared for the opener against the Bills when the games matter.

“We got to be ready to go, and we got to have all our energy systems right in Buffalo,” Gannon told the media. “Not going to get into all the science of that, but we can’t be winded out there. So we got to be in shape. ... But I think that we have a good plan of [doing] that [for] some of the guys that probably aren’t going to play.”