According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Kyler Murray, who suffered an ACL tear on December 12, will begin the 2023 regular season on the physically unable to perform list. This indicates that Murray will be absent for a minimum of the initial four games of the season.
The Arizona Cardinals made some significant moves on Monday, including the release of Colt McCoy, as announced by the team. Earlier in the offseason, McCoy was widely considered the top candidate to be the starting quarterback for the team in Week 1. However, it seems that Arizona, under the leadership of first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon, will now choose between the recently acquired Josh Dobbs and rookie Clayton Tune for this role. Coach Gannon, while speaking to reporters on Monday, refrained from naming a definite starter for the regular-season opener against the Washington Commanders on September 10.
“I’m not going to declare a starter right now because I believe it provides us with a competitive advantage as we head to Washington. However, we will have a clear starter,” Gannon stated.
He went on to say, “We have a plan in place, but I want to see both of them in action a bit more. We have some work to do this week and the following week, but I’m confident in where we stand.”
Kyler Murray has spent the entirety of training camp and preseason on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, meaning he does not occupy a roster spot and is taking the necessary time to recover fully from the ACL injury that cut short his 2022 season and required surgery. Given the timing of his injury, it’s reasonable to expect that Murray will be sidelined for more than a month. Back in January, reports indicated that Murray could potentially miss half of the 2023 season.
With Murray unavailable, the Cardinals’ quarterback situation is less than ideal, but it does present an interesting scenario. McCoy was initially expected to fill in for Murray during the preseason, but his release on Monday changed that plan. The Cardinals acquired Dobbs through a trade with the Cleveland Browns just last week, bringing him into an offense coordinated by Drew Petzing, who had previously been Dobbs’ quarterbacks coach in Cleveland. Although Dobbs is relatively new to the team, it appears that the Cardinals have enough confidence in him to move forward, alongside Tune, who also saw preseason action while McCoy was with the team.
“It’s a tough decision,” Gannon commented regarding McCoy’s release. “Colt is fantastic—he’s the epitome of a true professional, and that’s why he’s had such a long career. Going through this process from a different perspective many times, it’s always challenging. They understand that we care about them, and they’ve put in a lot of sacrifice and hard work into their craft. Ultimately, if you’re honest with them, they appreciate that. They know we’re doing what’s necessary to benefit the team. These are difficult days.”
Dobbs has experience stepping into an offense and quickly adapting to it. Last season, Tennessee signed him from Detroit’s practice squad, and he swiftly became the Titans’ starter for Weeks 17 and 18, less than two weeks after joining the team. It’s possible that his adaptability and skills will be called upon again to assist the Cardinals until Murray returns to action.