When Kyler Murray went down with a foot injury during the Cardinals’ Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans, fans just held their breath that it wouldn’t be long-term. Fast forward to Week 13, and Murray is still inactive but for an entirely different reason.
The foot injury Murray suffered was only supposed to sideline him for two to four weeks. When Week 9, a Monday Night Football game came around, Murray was listed as a game-time decision. While he ended up being ruled out, it seemed as if he was on track to make a return the following week.
However, in a move that surprised many, Murray was placed on injured reserve, forcing him to miss the team’s next four games. The rumor for this designation was due to how the offense was functioning as of late. Arizona had just defeated the Dallas Cowboys on the road, where backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett completed 21-of-31 passes for 261 yards with a pair of touchdown passes.
The offense was looking much cleaner, players such as Marvin Harrison Jr. were finally getting more involved, and the chemistry looked a tier up with Brissett under center. This is what many believe to be the real reason why head coach Jonathan Gannon placed Kyler Murray on injured reserve.
Even though the Cardinals lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, which was their fourth consecutive loss, Brissett did not shy away from a solid performance. Brissett completed 29-of-40 passes for 301 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. One interception that occurred in the first quarter did hurt his overall stat line, but he had a solid game nonetheless.
The Cardinals return home to face the Los Angeles Rams to start the month of December. L.A. is coming off its worst loss of the season, where they were upset on the road against the Carolina Panthers, losing by a final score of 31–28. It will be interesting to see how both teams bounce back next week.