The Arizona Cardinals can learn from the New York Jets by keeping Kyler Murray away from the preseason.
When Zach Wilson nearly became the first quarterback of the 2022 NFL season (or preseason included) to go down with a season-ending injury. Some speculated that it would be a torn ACL, but the x-rays and actual diagnosis came back in favor of the Jets.
Wilson avoided a “Mayday!” call from the injury report, and it’s a learning point for the Arizona Cardinals. The Arizona Cardinals should make the rest of the preseason games a QB2/3/4 show. Risking Kyler Murray’s health is too much of an issue.
This is something that I am personally willing to eat crow on, as I’ve been on record saying that Murray should play in these preseason games more. However, it’s safe to say that I’ve changed my mind on that now. Yes, Colt McCoy got the Cardinals to a 2-1 record when Murray missed time last year.
The issue lies therein itself.
The Arizona Cardinals should bench Kyler Murray for the rest of the preseason.
In order to remedy this planned lack of playing time, Murray should be 100 percent into practicing and building rapport with his teammates. Unfortunately, Murray’s COVID stint took some time away from him and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, and that needs to be made up.
I’m sure this is already being done for Murray, but the Arizona Cardinals can’t really afford to give him the equivalent of a “veterans day” if he doesn’t truly need it. But that’s just from the fan’s standpoint, and there’s a lot that we don’t and won’t get to know.
As always, the real sticking point will be the midway point of the season. How will the offense look by then? As long as it doesn’t fall off the face of the earth, then that will count as a win.