Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will return at some point this season. The question is: When?
Even Murray doesn’t know the answer to the question.
“I wouldn’t want to go out there and hurt the team or hurt myself,” Murray said Saturday, via Darren Urban of the team website. “The advice I’ve gotten from a lot of people around me is, obviously, to go when you are ready. Don’t feel pressured to come back because of this situation or that situation. I feel when that time comes, I’ll know.”
Murray continues to work his way back from reconstructive surgery Jan. 3 to repair the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his right knee. He said he is ramping up the work, doing some cutting on the knee now and “getting closer to football.”
He talked to Joe Burrow this offseason about what to expect with the Bengals quarterback having had a successful comeback from a torn ACL in 2020. Burrow told Murray that his biggest hurdle was being hesitant in the pocket.
“That’s something every athlete [does],” Murray said. “You’re a little scared to run the first time you pull a [hamstring]. But with reps, with everything, confidence comes. Even in the weight room, the first time I do things, I’m hesitant.
“The first time I jumped, I was hesitant. But we are preparing the body, preparing the mind to be able to do those things. I do think the first time I’m out there, maybe I might be [hesitant], but with the reps the confidence will grow.”
The problem for Murray and the Cardinals is they have a new head coach, a new offensive coordinator and a new offense, and the starting quarterback is getting no physical reps. Murray is in all the meetings and at practice and is confident he grasps the playbook.
“If I wasn’t taking the reps mentally and spitting it out at home in the mirror, to the coaches, in meetings, yeah, I’d probably be behind,” Murray said. “But the fact we are on it and constantly doing it, it’s been easy.”
The two-time Pro Bowler expects to play at an even higher level than he has when he returns.
It’s an important year with the Cardinals the betting favorites to finish with the worst record in the NFL and USC quarterback Caleb Williams expected to be the No. 1 overall pick.
So, Murray needs to show that he remains the team’s quarterback of the future as well as the present.