Kyler Murray is a player that we have become accustomed to seeing shaken up during his NFL career. He is once again hurt in Week 15 after taking a brutal hit against the New England Patriots.
Let’s examine the latest injury update for Murray and what it means for fantasy football managers.
What Happened to Kyler Murray?
Murray was attempting to force a play on third down from his own eight-yard line. Murray was sandwiched between two Patriots’ defenders, taking a hard hit to the head. He went to the turf and appeared shaken up. As a result, Murray was taken to the blue medical tent for what was assumed to be a concussion test.
Horrific throw by Kyler Murray.
Horrific roughing the passer call.
My God. pic.twitter.com/qKGlcd3kEU
— Savage (@SavageSports_) December 15, 2024
Murray came out of the tent and sat on the sideline reviewing coverage pictures with quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork. It appeared that he passed any concussion test and returned to the field.
In Murray’s absence, Clayton Tune came into the game and went 2-for-2 for eight yards before the Cardinals had to punt from their own 30-yard line. Tune is somewhat of an unknown in the NFL, having started just one game in his career. Unfortunately, in that game, the Cardinals lost 27-0, and Tune finished with an F grade by PFN’s QB+ metric.
Murray has struggled with consistency this season but is on pace for his second-best year. By our QB+ metric, he currently grades as a C+, which would be second only to his 2021 season, which was graded as a B. Murray has been largely league-average across the board this year, with a 0.08 EPA per play this season.
Fantasy Football Impact of a Murray Injury
Murray wasn’t playing particularly well before going to the tent, but the alternative is not what anyone wants to see.
Tune hasn’t seen much NFL action but came into this game with a career 57.1% completion percentage. If Tune has to make a start, it would be a downgrade for an already fringe fantasy starter in Marvin Harrison Jr.; the Cardinals would likely lean more on James Conner, but it’s not like this improves his fantasy value, as his touchdown upside would be lower under Tune.
Trey McBride would likely be the least impacted, as Tune could view him as a safety blanket and pepper him with targets.
