Michael Chow / USA TODAY NETWORK
This was expected. After Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray went down with an ugly-looking knee injury early in their Monday night game against the New England Patriots, it was feared that he suffered a season-ender.
Reports following the game suggested that initial tests showed Murray had a torn ACL. One day later, and that’s confirmed.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that an MRI performed on Murray’s knee confirmed an ACL tear.
From a micro perspective, the timing of this injury is just brutal for Murray. Not only is the former No. 1 pick going to miss the remainder of this season, he’s now likely out for a good chunk of the 2023 campaign. Typically, a return from an injury of this ilk borders on a calendar year. Just look at the struggles Odell Beckham Jr. has had in returning from the torn ACL he suffered in February’s Super Bowl.
From a macro perspective, the Cardinals find themselves in a less-than-enviable position as the team closes up shop on a lost season. They sit at 4-9 on the campaign and will play out the string with Colt McCoy under center.
Seen as an MVP candidate midway through the 2021 campaign, the on-field struggles from Murray have been obvious since. He’s also in the midst of a contentious relationship with embattled Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Multiple times this season, we’ve seen the two go at it during games.
Fresh off signing a five-year, $230 million extension this past July, Kyler Murray’s career is now at a crossroads. He’ll have to both rehab from this serious injury and change the narrative surrounding him to turn things around. At 25, there’s a chance this will happen. But it’s going to be a long road for the former Heisman winner.