Kyler Murray expected to start Sunday for Cardinals vs. Falcons

Arizona Cardinals (1-8) head coach Jonathan Gannon revealed Monday that quarterback Kyler Murray will start the Week 10 home tilt against the Atlanta Falcons (4-5) if all goes well in practice this week, per Omar Ruiz of NFL Network.

Murray remains on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) after tearing his ACL in December 2022. The 21-day window in which the Cardinals must elevate him to the active roster expires this week. Gannon said the team plans to activate him Wednesday, the first day of practice this week.

“It’s fun to be around him at practice,” Gannon said. “He’s ultra competitive and wants to play football. But everything that he’s been doing up until this point to get himself ready to go both on and off the field, rehab with the health stuff, with the mental stuff about playing quarterback, he’s far exceeded my expectations right now.”

Murray, Arizona’s No. 1 overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma, inked a five-year, $230.5 million deal last offseason. Though just 25-31-1 as a starter, Murray has appeared in two Pro Bowls and been productive. Murray has completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 13,848 yards with 84 passing touchdowns and 41 interceptions. He has added 2,204 yards on the ground and 23 scores.

Cardinals off to 1-8 start without Kyler Murray

Murray was thought to have a shot to return in Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns (5-3), but that nod went to rookie Clayton Tune. The fifth-round pick out of Houston completed 11-of-20 passes for 58 yards and two interceptions. The Cardinals were shutout by the Browns, 27-0.

Murray will receive all the reps with the ones this week. If Murray can’t go, Tune will receive his second-career start.

“I just want to see him [Murray] practice again,” Gannon said. “See how he progresses through the week, things like that. Get him all the reps with the ones, I think that’s kind of the last step. Then playing in the game is another step in the process of coming back from a major injury [and] not playing football for a while.

“We got to be willing to understand that it might not look like Kyler, and I think he’s got a good expectation of that. The coaches have a good expectation of that. But I know this: he’s gonna come out there and play his game and help us win.”