Sports

Kyler Murray was placed on injured reserve this week and will be out until at least Week 14. The Arizona Cardinals quarterback has not played since Week 5 due to a foot injury and with Jacoby Brissett continuing on as the starter, questions are started to be raised about Murray's future with the franchise.

During a Friday appearance on Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke, Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort did not say Murray would automatically regain the No. 1 job once he's off IR. 

“When we put a guy on IR, that’s four weeks away,” Ossenfort said. “A lot of things can happen between now and then. I think Jacoby has done a great job of leading our offense. We’re expecting more of the same moving forward. But Jacoby’s put himself in a good spot for where we’re going offensively. When Kyler gets healthy … we’ll assess when we get to that point.”

Ossenfort said he believes Murray will be available before the end of the regular season and that the quarterback is "doing everything he can to get himself healthy."

At 3-5 in the NFC West, the Cardinals have nine games to play and are hopeful to be in the playoff mix when Murray is eligible to return on Dec. 7 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Even if Murray returns and plays for the Cardinals this season, the questions about his future with the franchise will continue into the offseason.

Murray is guaranteed $36.8 million for the 2026 season. He could have $19.5 million of his 2027 base salary guaranteed if he remains on the Cardinals' roster five days after the new NFL league year begins in mid-March. Should Arizona release him before June 1, they would carry a $57.7 million dead cap hit. A post-June 1 release would see a $50.5 million dead cap hit in 2026 and a $7.2 million hit in 2027.

A Murray trade would open up $35.3 million in salary cap saving and only $17.9 million in dead money for the Cardinals, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon were not with the Cardinals when Murray was selected first overall in the 2019 NFL draft or when he signed a five-year extension in 2022.

Arizona started 2-3 with Murray completing 68.3% of his passes for 192.4 yards per game with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He added 29 carries for 173 yards (six yards per carry) and one touchdown on the ground.

The Cardinals are 1-2 in games Brissett has started. A 10th-year veteran with substantial NFL starting experience, Brissett has completed 65.2% of his passes for 286.7 yards per game with six touchdowns and one interception.

In Brissett's three starts the Cardinals are averaging 25.7 points per game compared to the 20.6 in Murray's five starts. Ossenfort has been buoyed by the team's recent performance and is hopeful Arizona can trend upward under the veteran signal caller.

“The last few weeks, we found a little bit of a stride,” Ossenfort said. “Jacoby’s been a big part of that. We’ve had other guys step up and fill roles. I think we’ve put guys in good positions to make plays. We’ve been able to do that. And so we’re gonna continue to do that.

“It’s been fun to see, it’s been fun to watch. Jacoby’s a professional. He’s played in the league for a long time. He’s been in this position before. So it’s been fun to see, and hopefully we can keep it going this weekend up in Seattle.”