TEMPE, Ariz. — An MRI confirmed the Arizona Cardinals’ initial fears.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is out for the season with a torn ACL, coach Kliff Kingsbury announced Tuesday during a press conference.
‘He’ll be done for the year, a torn ACL. It’s unfortunate,’ Kingsbury said. ‘It’s tough to see.’
Colt McCoy replaced Murray in the lineup and will serve as the team’s starter for the remainder of the year.
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How long will Kyler Murray be out?
Recovery timelines vary. The Mayo Clinic says that ‘in general’ it can take ‘as long as a year or more before athletes can safely return to play’ after surgery. Murray’s injury could affect his availability for the 2023 season. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow tore his ACL and MCL in his left knee Nov. 22, 2020, and returned Aug. 29, 2021, in a preseason game.
Kyle Murray’s 2022 season
The injury marks the end of a frustrating season for the Cardinals quarterback.
Murray signed a five-year, $230.5 million extension with the Cardinals in July. The deal received scrutiny after it was revealed there was an independent study clause added to the contractual obligations. The clause was later rescinded after backlash across the league.
Murray and the Cardinals started the season 2-4 and haven’t been able to recover from the slow start. The quarterback has gotten into a couple of shouting matches on the sideline and missed two games this year due to a hamstring injury.
The fourth-year dual-threat quarterback passed for 2,368 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He had a career-low 87.2 passer rating. On the ground, he totaled 418 rushing yards and three rushing TDs in 11 games this year.
Murray’s exit comes at a time when the Cardinals are 4-9 and riding a three game losing streak.
‘He’s very disappointed. There’s no doubt,’ Kingsbury said of Murray. ‘He’s as competitive as anybody that I’ve ever been around. He wanted to finish this season strong. We faced a lot of adversity so far this season. We were looking forward to this last month and try to really build going into next year, so definitely disappointed.’
Four years in Arizona
The Cardinals selected Murray No.1 in the 2019 NFL draft out of Oklahoma. He won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in his first season and has been selected to two Pro Bowls.
Murray has 13,848 passing yards, 84 touchdowns and 41 interceptions in 57 career games. He has a 25-31-1 record as a starter.
Murray was also drafted by the Oakland A’s in the first round (No. 9 overall) of the MLB draft in 2018.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on Twitter @TheTylerDragon.