Cardinals keep playoff hopes alive; QB controversy at forefront
Jacoby Brissett stunned the Cowboys on Monday Night Football, but coach Jonathon Gannon remains insistent that Kyler Murray is the starting QB.
The Arizona Cardinals have placed quarterback Kyler Murray on injured reserve due to a foot injury.Head coach Jonathan Gannon stated the decision was based on Murray’s health and is best for both him and the team.
The Arizona Cardinals have officially placed Kyler Murray on injured reserve with his foot injury, shortly after head coach Jonathan Gannon announced the move in a news conference on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
The move means that Murray will miss at least the next four games. He does have a designation to return this season, meaning his year is not necessarily over.
“I feel like that’s the best thing for him and for us,” Gannon said. “He’s not fully healthy, ready to go yet. So that makes the most sense. Obviously, that’s a change. But we just felt, looking at it right now, that’s the best thing for him and us.”
The move comes one day after Gannon named Jacoby Brissett as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback — a move that Gannon said was due to both performance and health.
It’s the final note of a fast-moving, three-day news cycle for the Cardinals. After the game on Monday, Nov. 3, Gannon said “nothing has changed” regarding the quarterback situation.
A day later, Gannon had a conversation with Murray, informing him that Brissett would be the starter, before announcing that move in his news conference that afternoon.
Next, that night and the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 5, the Cardinals decided to place Murray on injured reserve.
“Talking with him, talking to some other people,” Gannon said. “Obviously a collective decision there.”
Gannon did not expressly say who those people are, but the move could be beneficial for the Cardinals and Murray. It gives the team clarity on their quarterback situation for the next month, rather than continuing what has been a weekly drama.
It also helps preserve Murray’s value and status entering an uncertain offseason, rather than officially naming him as the backup.
Still, it’s a dramatic change given that, three weeks ago, Murray was essentially a gametime decision, with the Cardinals determining he would not play only one day before their Week 6 game against the Colts.
“There’s a lot of reasons why we did what we did,” Gannon said. “There’s a lot of different scenarios out there of what can happen throughout the week and moving as you get close to a game. This pivot, I would say, is completely predicated on the information that we have now and his health.”
Gannon acknowledged that a foot injury is more impactful for Murray than it might be for some other quarterbacks, given his reliance on mobility. Later, he was asked whether he expects Murray back this season.
“I hope so,” Gannon said. “I really do.”
In the meantime, they will rely on Kedon Slovis as their backup quarterback. Slovis, who played at Scottsdale Desert Mountain High, has never appeared in an NFL game. Gannon acknowledged that the Cardinals will likely need to add a third quarterback to their practice squad.
The Cardinals visit the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10 on Sunday, Nov. 9. Murray can first return in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams.
This story was updated to add new information.
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