As expected, Kyler Murray is not expected to be healthy enough to start the season on the active roster. The Cardinals will instead keep their franchise quarterback on the physically unable to perform list and will not count as a roster spot as Arizona works to trim its team down to 53 players by Tuesday's deadline, according to NFL Media.
Arizona recently traded for Joshua Dobbs and could be in line to be the team's Week 1 starter following the release of Colt McCoy. The Cardinals also have Jeff Driskel and rookie Clayton Tune on the roster as well.
Murray remaining on the PUP list means he will at least be sidelined for the first four games of the season. So with this maneuver on Monday, he officially will be sidelined for the Week 1 opener against the Commanders in Washington, their two-game home stand against the Giants and Cowboys in Week 2 and Week 3, and then will be missing from their road head-to-head with the 49ers in Week 4. The earliest Murray can come off the PUP list would be in time for the team's Week 5 game against the Bengals at State Farm Stadium.
Murray has continued to rehab as he works his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered in Week 14 last season during a "Monday Night Football" matchup with the Patriots. Given that the injury occurred on Dec. 12, it was widely assumed that he would not be able to recuperate in time for the start of the 2023 campaign, which came to fruition with this news on Monday.
Murray was drafted by the Cardinals with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019. The Oklahoma product has gone 25-31-1 in 57 regular season starts for the franchise and lost their lone playoff appearance during the 2021 season. Last offseason, Murray signed a five-year, $230.5 million contract with the franchise, linking him to Arizona through the 2028 season.
