Kyler Murray missed last week with an ankle injury that was given a provisional timeline for return of 1-3 weeks. With Murray having missed his first game of the season due to injury, could we see him miss a second game when the Arizona Cardinals face the Panthers in Week 10? What is the latest regarding Murray and his injury?
Kyler Murray Week 10 injury update
The hope was that Murray would not even have to miss Week 9 with his injury. However, he was ultimately unable to take the field against the San Francisco 49ers. Still, because he was a relatively late scratch last week, the hope was Murray would be back at practice in Week 10.
On Wednesday, Murray was held out of practice. It’s possible that was out of an abundance of caution. Arizona held Murray out Thursday as well before he returned to practice Friday. Murray is reportedly pushing to play Sunday but a report from Jordan Schultz quoted a source as saying it is 85 percent likely that Murray is out in Week 10.
The Cardinals probably do not need to rush Murray in Week 10
This week’s matchup with the Panthers is one the Cardinals should feel good about winning, even without Murray. Carolina will be without starting QB Sam Darnold thanks to injury. Instead, they will be starting former XFL star P.J. Walker, who has so far struggled in the NFL.
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The Cardinals come into the game 8-1 and sit atop the NFC standings. Meanwhile, the Panthers are 4-5, having won just one game in their last six. The Panthers have scored only 28 total points over the last three weeks, which will hardly strike fear into the Cardinals’ defense.
Colt McCoy impressed in his Week 9 start
Colt McCoy did a very professional, veteran job as the Cardinals’ starter in Week 9. He completed 22 of 26 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown. He also added 23 yards on 7 carries. While his performance was not as dynamic as we have come to expect from Murray, it was much better than we have seen from other backups around the NFL this year.
McCoy’s Week 9 performance will likely have made any decision on whether to rush Murray back easier. Had McCoy struggled, then the Cardinals might have felt they needed to push Murray. Now, they can potentially let their star QB rest at least one more week, knowing their offense is in good hands.
The Cardinals travel to Seattle in Week 11 before a bye in Week 12. It will be interesting to see whether they risk Murray in that game against the Seahawks. If they feel they can roll with McCoy, they can buy Murray two more weeks to heal. That would allow Murray to come back against the Bears in Week 13. Then, he would hopefully be fully healthy for the final six games of the season and into the playoffs.