Kyler Murray wants to get back on the field. Badly.
The Cardinals’ star quarterback is in the midst of his ACL recovery and is pushing to return to action as early as possible, according to a source with close knowledge of the situation.
However, the new coaching staff in Arizona has been trying to manage those expectations, intent on taking a measured approach to ensure there is a low chance of re-injury.
Murray tore his ACL in a December 12 game against the New England Patriots and had surgery on January 3. He began straight-line running a couple weeks ago and has not suffered any setbacks, the source said.
The ACL recovery process generally takes between nine and 12 months.
“It’s been a grind, but he’s attacking,” the source said.
A weekend in Hawaii w @k1 📸🤝🏼 pic.twitter.com/GoP3mugjax
— 𝖘𝖆𝖛𝖆𝖌𝖊 ✰ (@Savagee) July 6, 2023
Despite being sidelined, it’s been a very positive offseason for Murray, who is jelling extremely well with new head coach Jonathan Gannon and his offensive assistants.
According to multiple sources, Murray is excited to see how he fits into the new scheme being brought in by offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.
Even though he couldn’t practice during Arizona’s offseason work, Murray often stood behind the huddle to watch each play develop from a quarterback’s vantage point.
Gannon has said multiple times that he wouldn’t have taken the Cardinals’ job without the presence of Murray, and even though Arizona is projected to be among the worst teams in the NFL in 2023, the first-time head coach has spoken both publicly and privately about his desire to be competitive.
Murray’s return to the field would be a huge boost, but the organization is in lockstep about its desire to get the dual-threat signal-caller back to full health before playing in games again.
If it were up to Murray, a return to action would come as soon as he felt able, but the Cardinals want to be mindful of his long-term future when that decision is made.
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