Arizona Cardinals Lose QB Kyler Murray to Season-Ending Injury

Posted on: December 13, 2022, 10:11h. 

Last updated on: December 13, 2022, 12:26h.

Pauly McGuire Read More

Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

The Arizona Cardinals were outmatched against the New England Patriots on “Monday Night Football.” That’s after quarterback Kyler Murray suffered a noncontact knee injury on the third play of the game.

Backup quarterback Colt McCoy came off the bench for the Cardinals and led them to a 13-10 lead at halftime. But the Patriots pulled away in the second half, winning 27-13.

The Patriots also covered the -3.5 point spread. The points total for the game was 44 o/u, and under bettors were happy that the Patriots’ stifling defense shut out the Cardinals in the second half.

The Cardinals have less than a 1% chance to secure an NFC wild-card spot after dropping five out of their last six games. The Cardinals fell to 4-9 this season, including a 1-6 record on their home turf in Arizona.

Report: Murray Has ACL Injury

On the third play of the game against the Patriots, the Cardinals were in a shotgun formation. Murray scrambled to the right and looked like he had enough room to secure a first down. However, his knee buckled and he collapsed to the turf at State Farm Field.

Medical staff rushed out to attend to Murray while an eerie silence fell over the crowd. The staffers didn’t waste any time and called over a medical cart. Teammates gathered around Murray, who sobbed with a towel over his head.

Obviously, it didn’t look good,” said head coach Kliff Kingsbury. “I’ve never seen him in that type of shape, so assumed it wasn’t good.”

“Anytime you see a noncontact injury, you know it’s worse right away,” said teammate DeAndre Hopkins.

“It’s tough to see a player like Murray get hurt,” said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick in a post-game press conference. “Hope he’s OK.”

A quick evaluation in the locker room suggested that Murray suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Murray will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to confirm the ACL injury.

In 11 games this season, Murray completed 66.4% of his passes for 2,368 yards. He threw 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed 67 times for 418 yards and three touchdowns.

The ACL injury is a huge blow to Murray, the former #1 pick in the NFL Draft, who recently inked a $230.5 million contract extension with the Cardinals.

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On Deck: Battle of Backup QBs in Week 15

Murray recently missed two games with a hamstring injury in Week 10 and Week 11. McCoy was 1-1 as a starter for the Cardinals this season while replacing Murray. With Murray out for the remainder of the season, McCoy will take over as the starting quarterback.

I’ve played for a long time and you always gotta be ready,” McCoy told reporters after the game. “You never want to see the guy in front of you go down. You just don’t. I’ve had a lot of opportunities in my career. I’ve gotten injured. So, I’m thankful to be on this team, on this squad and I love the guys that we have.”

The Cardinals are currently a -2.5 road favorite over the Denver Broncos (3-10) in Week 15. That game, between two losing squads, will feature a pair of backup quarterbacks replacing injured starters. Oddsmakers anticipate a low-scoring contest, which is why the points total is currently 36.5 o/u.

Broncos starting quarterback Russell Wilson suffered a concussion in a divisional loss against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday and he entered the NFL’s concussion protocol. Backup Brett Rypien is expected to start for the Broncos against the Cardinals in Week 15, and he’ll square off against McCoy.