Kyler Murray did not make his 2023 debut until November, and the Arizona Cardinals are treating him with precaution ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters Tuesday that Murray will not play in any of the team’s three preseason games.
Murray was recovering from a torn ACL, which is why he made such a late debut last season. He ended up going 3-5 as a starter for a team that finished in last place in the NFC West. It was a disappointing follow-up effort to 2022 when he went 3-8 as a starter.
Still, it wasn’t that long ago that Murray was a Pro Bowler in 2021 when he completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 3,787 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while adding 423 yards and five scores on the ground as a runner.
When healthy, he is a proven playmaker who the Cardinals don’t have to evaluate in the preseason.
They know he is their starter and will likely continue to be a force opposing defenses have to deal with as they look to make some noise in the NFC West.
Yet the backup quarterback spot is not a surefire thing for Arizona.
By resting Murray during the preseason contests, Gannon and the rest of the coaching staff will have more opportunities to evaluate Desmond Ridder and Clayton Tune. Ridder went 8-9 as a starter with 14 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions across the last two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, while Tune was a fifth-round pick of Arizona’s last year.
Tune saw some action last season and went 12-for-21 for just 62 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions.
Perhaps Ridder or Tune will impress in preseason games against the New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts or Denver Broncos while Murray doesn’t play and seize the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.