Cardinals QB Kyler Murray addresses playing return after injury

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has been sidelined since he suffered a serious knee injury on Dec. 12, 2022, but is on track to start when the 1-8 Cardinals host the 4-5 Atlanta Falcons this coming Sunday. 

"I'm kind of emotionless," Murray said about his feelings while speaking with media members on Thursday, per Eric Edholm of the NFL.com. "Not trying to get too high, get too low. It's been a long, long 10 months."

Murray underwent ACL surgery that included some meniscus repair this past January and acknowledged over the summer that his fourth NFL season wasn't his favorite for multiple reasons. Neither general manager Monti Ossenfort nor head coach Jonathan Gannon was with the Cardinals in the summer of 2022 when the club signed Murray to a five-year extension reportedly worth $230.5M with $160M guaranteed, but it's nevertheless believed the Ossenfort-Gannon partnership views the first overall pick of the 2019 draft as a long-term answer at the position. 

"I think we see things the same way," Murray said about his relationship with Gannon. "The competitiveness is there, and he loves the game. I know he loves the game. He understands the game. We just see eye to eye."

The Tankathon website shows that Arizona holds the rights for the first overall pick in next year's draft after Week 9. In a mock draft updated on Thursday, Josh Edwards of CBS Sports predicted that the Cardinals would use that asset to land star USC Trojans QB Caleb Williams. 

Even if Murray plays well in losses through Week 18, Ossenfort could decide that Williams or Drake Maye of the North Carolina Tar Heels is a better prospect for a rebuilding club that likely won't be in a position to compete for anything of note before Sept., 2025 at the earliest. With that said, Murray first must show he can stay healthy for an entire game coming off the significant injury that downed him less than 12 months ago.