When Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray went down with an ugly-looking knee injury early in their Monday night game against the New England Patriots, there were immediate fears that the injury was serious. One day later, those fears have been confirmed.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that an MRI performed on Murray’s knee confirmed an ACL tear.
From a micro perspective, the timing of this injury is just brutal for Murray. Not only is the former No. 1 pick going to miss the remainder of this season, he’s now likely out for a good chunk of the 2023 campaign. Typically, a return from an injury of this ilk borders on a calendar year. Just look at the struggles Odell Beckham Jr. has had in returning from the torn ACL he suffered in February’s Super Bowl.
From a macro perspective, the Cardinals find themselves in a less-than-enviable position as the team closes up shop on a lost season. They sit at 4-9 on the campaign and will play out the string with Colt McCoy under center.
Seen as an MVP candidate midway through the 2021 campaign, Murray has struggled since. He’s also in the midst of a contentious relationship with embattled Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Multiple times this season, we’ve seen the two go at it during games.
Fresh off signing a five-year, $230 million extension this past July, Murray’s career is now at a crossroads. He’ll have to both rehab from this serious injury and change the narrative surrounding him to turn things around. At 25, there’s a chance this will happen. But it’s going to be a long road for the former Heisman winner.
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