Could Cardinals keep Kyler Murray sidelined for contractual reasons?

Kyler Murray has been ruled out for at least the first four games of the 2023 season after the Arizona Cardinals kept him on the physically unable to perform list. The team has not given a timeline for Murray’s return and some prominent members of the media think it is possible we will not see the star quarterback at all this year.

Murray has been recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 14 last season. Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi discussed the situation during a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” Lombardi predicted that Murray will remained sidelined for the entire season.

The rationale is pretty straightforward. A huge portion of the money remaining on Murray’s contract is guaranteed for injury. If he suffers an injury at some point in the next several months that prevents him from being able to pass a physical next March, the Cardinals would be on the hook for all of that money.

“In Kyler Murray’s case, he has $56 million coming and has a potential to earn $92 million that are only protected by the injury guarantee clause,” Lombardi said. “They placed him on PUP. My sense of it is he will not play for the rest of the year because they can’t risk putting him back on the field and having him get injured.”