Arizona Cardinals coach has cryptic comments about Kyler Murray

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon will be taking questions about Kyler Murray’s rehabbing knee all offseason.

Until Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray returns to the starting lineup, expect head coach Jonathan Gannon to take a lot of questions surrounding the team’s current franchise player. And in a recent press conference, Gannon gave us no clear answer regarding Murray’s status. 

""You can ask him about the rehab, but I know he's making strides. He's a long way away, but we don't play for a long time, either. I feel good where he's at.""

- Jonathan Gannon

So what does this mean for Murray exactly? If I’m reading through the lines, it means it’s premature to count Murray out, and that he could return as the Cardinals starting quarterback by Week 1. 

However, the realistic, logical part of me also believes that returning from such an injury after just nine months is an incredible feat, especially for a guy who is rightfully taking his time with rehab. So overall, Gannon’s message to the press and to the rest of us is that Murray’s status is up in the air, and there is no definitive confirmation of whether he will or won’t be ready for Week 1. 

When will the Arizona Cardinals quarterback return?

Logistically, I would say that Murray likely won’t see the playing field again until late October at the earliest, which puts us at Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens. I can also see him staying out of action until late November, perhaps in the final week of the month vs. the Los Angeles Rams. 

Overall, I feel that we will see Murray play in at least a handful of games this season, even if the Cardinals are out of contention, or nearly out of contention, by the time he is cleared to return. For the fifth-year quarterback, it will be all about getting real game reps in Gannon’s and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s system, at least giving Murray a feel of what to expect for next season. 

In short, let’s not count Murray out from returning in Week 1, as Gannon’s comments imply he could be ready. But let’s also be logical and assume, for now at least, that Murray won’t return until between late October and late November. 

Source: Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon: QB Kyler Murray (ACL) 'a long way away, but we don't play for a long time' by Eric Edholm, NFL.com