Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is eligible to be activated off of the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Monday. The Cardinals are off to a 1-2 start behind backup Josh Dobbs. Will Murray be ready to rejoin the team after Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers?
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Kyler Murray Injury Update
Murray is not expected to come off the physically unable to perform list when he becomes eligible Monday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. In fact, Murray is considered weeks away from playing, according to the report.
Murray, who suffered a torn ACL last December, is in his fifth season after being selected first overall in the 2019 draft. He has only won 25 of his 57 career starts in four seasons, leading the Cardinals.
Murray won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and followed it up with back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons in 2020 and 2021. In four seasons, he has 84 touchdown passes with 41 interceptions and 23 rushing touchdowns.
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said before Week 3’s game, “I’m not in a hurry with that. Love to have him out there. He’s itching to be back, but we’ll take that one day at a time.”
The clock is ticking on Murray’s possible return for this season. Once a player misses four games on the PUP list, a five-week window begins in which a player must return to practice. Once the player returns to practice, the team has three weeks to activate him on the 53-man roster.
MORE: Arizona Cardinals Depth Chart 2023
Without Murray, the Cardinals have been competitive in all three games. After a close Week 1 loss to the Washington Commanders, the Cardinals lost in Week 2 at home after blowing a 21-point lead to the New York Giants. Last week, however, Arizona upset the Dallas Cowboys behind the play of Dobbs and running back James Conner.
Dobbs has two touchdown passes with no interceptions in his three starts this season. The team has scored 28 points in each of the past two games, with Conner averaging over 100 rush yards.
Fantasy Fallout From the Murray News
The latest news around Murray continues to downgrade the value of the Cardinals’ fantasy options. Dobbs played well in Week 3 against the Cowboys, but he’s not someone that fantasy managers will want to rely on consistently to provide big numbers for those around him.
Murray is the more electric option, and his return would be a boost. Conner remains an RB2, and Marquise Brown continues to be a Flex option. Beyond that, however, the Cardinals’ fantasy potential is somewhat limited. Tight end Zach Ertz will have his weeks regardless of who is under center, but it won’t be consistent.