An MRI has confirmed Arizona’s worst fears regarding Kyler Murray.
The Cardinals quarterback suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Monday night’s loss to the New England Patriots, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Murray suffered the non-contact injury while scrambling on the third play of the Week 14 prime-time game, planting to cut upfield and instead tumbling to the ground in pain. A cart was required to help a visibly emotional Murray exit the field.
Now that his diagnosis is confirmed, it’s clear why Murray was so upset. The quarterback had already dealt with a hamstring issue that cost him two games earlier in the season, and his ACL injury will not only end his 2022 campaign but also force him to travel a much longer road back to the playing field.
Murray signed a highly publicized five-year, $230.5 million extension with Arizona in the offseason, but the first season following the agreement was significantly underwhelming. Arizona failed to rediscover the offensive prowess that propelled it to title-favorite status early in the 2021 season, struggled to establish cohesiveness with a rotating cast of receivers, and was forced to turn to veteran Colt McCoy for a pair of starts at a crucial point in the season.
Murray’s return stood as Arizona’s best hope of turning things around. Now, the job belongs to McCoy, who will be the Cardinals’ starter going forward in a season that appears destined to end in massive, potentially destructive disappointment.