Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Wednesday that quarterback Kyler Murray won’t have surgery to repair his torn ACL until after Christmas.
It’s unclear the reason for the delay, though Kingsbury noted that Murray will go through “prehab” workouts ahead of the surgery.
The Cardinals signed Murray to a five-year, $230.5 million extension in July, including $189.5 million in guaranteed money.
The Cardinals signed quarterback David Blough off Minnesota’s practice squad Wednesday to take Murray’s spot on the 53-man roster, one of several moves by the team.
The Cardinals also placed second-year wideout Rondale Moore on injured reserve with a groin injury, ending his season. Murray officially went on IR, as well.
In addition, the club signed TE Maxx Williams and CB Jace Whittaker to the active roster. Williams was out of standard elevations from the practice squad while Whittaker takes the roster spot of Trayvon Mullen, who was released Tuesday.
The Cardinals also designated OL Will Hernandez to return from IR, opening his 21-day practice window. He could be activated for Sunday’s game at Denver.
An MRI exam confirmed Murray sustained a season-ending ACL injury in Monday’s game against the New England Patriots.
Murray was injured on the third play from scrimmage, a play in which he dropped back to pass and then scrambled for a gain of 3 yards. He fell awkwardly on the non-contact play and was quickly attended to by team trainers.
Kingsbury doesn’t know whether Murray will rehab at the Cardinals’ facility or at his home in Dallas.
Colt McCoy, 36, replaced Murray for the Cardinals (4-9), who dropped a 27-13 decision to the Patriots in Glendale, Ariz. McCoy completed 27 of 40 passes for 246 yards and one interception.
While McCoy will be the team’s starter for the remainder of the season, Trace McSorley will move up to No. 2 on the depth chart, with Blough at QB3.
Blough, 27, is 0-5 as a starter in his three seasons in the league, with all five starts coming in the 2019 season with the Detroit Lions. He’s thrown for 1,033 yards, with four touchdowns against seven interceptions.
Arizona also signed rookie quarterback Carson Strong to the practice squad. Strong was not selected in the 2022 draft but signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent before being released in late August.
Moore, 22, played in just eight games (all starts) due to injury, including a hamstring earlier this season. He had 41 catches for 414 yards and a touchdown.
Murray, 25, completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 2,368 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 games this season. He also has rushed 67 times for 418 yards and three scores.
–Field Level Media