The Arizona Cardinals are placing quarterback Kyler Murray on injured reserve due to a lingering foot injury, head coach Jonathan Gannon announced on Wednesday.
There is a chance Murray returns this season, Gannon added, but the move means Murray is out at least four more weeks.
Murray has not played since the Cardinals' loss to the Titans on Oct. 5 because of the foot ailment, which has forced veteran backup Jacoby Brissett into the lineup. With Brissett at the controls, the Cardinals have enjoyed an uptick in offensive production, averaging nearly 70 more yards per game and scoring more than five more points per game than they did with Murray as the starter.
Murray's return had been anticipated for a couple of weeks, prompting local reporters to closely monitor Murray's participation in the Cardinals' practices during the portions open to the media. The attention was warranted for more than just his health; Arizona's offensive improvements without Murray have prompted many to wonder if Gannon might bench a healthy Murray in favor of Brissett, which would suggest Murray's days with the Cardinals could be numbered.
After Arizona's win over Dallas on Monday night -- a triumph that snapped a brutal five-game losing streak -- Gannon made sure to firmly state Murray would be the Cardinals' starter when healthy, telling reporters "yeah, nothing's changed."
Gannon on Tuesday then proceeded to declare Brissett the team's starting quarterback for their Week 10 game against the Seattle Seahawks, a move, Gannon said, that would give the team "clarity" during the leadup to the game as Murray focused on recovery.
Murray's placement on IR means that recovery will last until at least Week 13.
Murray's foot injury is one that is susceptible to a setback if the affected individual isn't given ample time to recover, a process that can take four to eight weeks, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday.
With this in mind, Arizona is taking the cautious approach with Murray. It's a decision undoubtedly made easier by Brissett's success as the team's interim starter.
We'll see a month from now if Murray's stint on IR was merely to buy him more time to heal, or if it was the beginning of the end of his time in Arizona.
