Arizona Cardinals Declare Quarterback Kyler Murray Week 10 Starter

It's official. Speaking at his Friday press conference, Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon declared quarterback Kyler Murray the starter for Week 10's matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, ending a nearly 11-month absence for the two-time Pro Bowler.

#AZCardinals coach Jonathan Gannon makes it official: Kyler Murray will start.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 10, 2023

Murray has been unavailable since tearing his ACL in a Week 14 loss to the New England Patriots during the 2022 season. He ended his year with career lows in net yards per attempt (5.24) and passing yards per game (215.3) while winning only three of his 11 starts.

Murray's performance over the second half of the season could go a long way to deciding his future with the Cardinals. They currently sit at 1-8, putting them square in contention for a high pick in a draft that reportedly features an elite quarterback class. Depending on how the rest of the season goes, the Cardinals could find themselves having to make a decision between Murray and a top prospect.

At only 5'10" but with elite speed and elusiveness, Murray is an exciting and endearing novelty at the quarterback position, but he simply hasn't proven he can help a team play consistently winning football. The Cardinals are comfortably below .500 since drafting him first overall in 2019, and they've yet to finish better than 11th in scoring in any season he's led them as a passer.

For Murray to ensure his future with the Cardinals, he'll need to excel over the final eight games of the season, or at the very least play well enough to pull them out of contention for a top pick. If he stumbles (or even plays like he did last year), he may make the Cardinals' decision for them.