The highly-anticipated 2023 season debut of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is right around the corner.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Tomorrow, the Cardinals host the Atlanta Falcons at State Farm Stadium in Glendale and will get their biggest star back on the gridiron.
For 11 months, Murray has been on the sidelines after suffering an ACL injury against the New England Patriots on Dec. 12, 2022.
With that being said, what version of Murray are we going to see since he has been out for an extended period of time and what could he do against the Falcons?
QB Play So Far
Well, let’s start by just saying the Cardinals are 1-8 and they need any help that they can get.
Previously, quarterback Josh Dobbs started in eight games and threw for 1569 yards and threw 8 touchdowns.
Overall, Dobbs did fairly decent considering that he didn’t have players like tight end Zach Ertz (quad) and running back James Conner (knee) together throughout all the games Dobbs played in Arizona.
But, Dobbs was traded to the Minnesota Vikings due to the news about Murray coming back.
Still, Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon started Clayton Tune over Murray last week against the Cleveland Browns.
Last week, Tune’s first time as a starter was dissapointing as he only threw for 58 yards and was shutout.
Expectations
So, with the expectations on the season at an all-time low, Murray coming back should be a big boost for the “Bird Gang,” but it will be interesting to see how he will play.
Will Murray be conscious of his leg and not rush as much if he is in a situation where he could do so?
An ACL injury is arguably one of the worst injuries in all of sports and there is always a chance of another tear happening again.
So far, Murray has recorded 2204 rushing yards in four seasons in the valley as he is known as being a mobile quarterback.
Additionally, the Cardinals offensive line, this season especially, have not been protected their quarterbacks nearly at all as Dobbs and Tune have been sacked 24 times.
That would equal 2.7 sacks per-game, so Murray may be in for a rough outing tomorrow.
Furthermore, Arizona may get another offensive weapon back in their arsenal.
On Nov. 8, Conner returned to practice after being taken off injured reserve from a knee injury.
With all being said, anything from Kyler Murray tomorrow is a step in the right direction.
For a start, 200+ yards thrown should be the baseline and anything else is an added bonus, along with him being healthy when the game concludes.
Who Will Be Available for the Cardinals vs Falcons Game? (Updated)
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Alec Cipollini is the lead reporter of the Arizona Coyotes and Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account @AlecCipollini
