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Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals have more clarity on their quarterback situation less than two weeks before Week 1.
Kyler Murray won’t be activated off the physically unable to perform list before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday. That means Murray will miss at least the first four games of the regular season. Once he’s activated, he’ll have 21 days to practice and be put on the 53-man roster, otherwise he’ll have to spend the entire season on the PUP list.
They also released quarterback Colt McCoy on Monday, a day before teams are required to narrow their roster to 53 players. The move comes four days after trading for quarterback Joshua Dobbs. McCoy, the 36-year-old who signed with the Cardinals in 2021, was the first-team quarterback all spring, training camp and preseason while Arizona waited for Murray to return from ACL surgery.
Murray injured his right knee in Week 14 last season on “Monday Night Football” and had surgery in early January. Murray had said previously that he wanted to be back by Week 1. He later said he didn’t want to miss any time but he also isn’t sure how much practice he’ll need before he’s ready to take a regular-season snap.
With McCoy’s release and Murray not being available for Week 1, the Cardinals will likely choose their starter from Dobbs and fifth-round pick Clayton Tune.
Tune ran the second-team offense for the majority of the spring, all of camp and the preseason.
Throughout training camp, coach Jonathan Gannon declined to name a starter at any position. Last Monday, Gannon said he’d name the starters when he needed to name the starters.
Gannon also offered praise of McCoy.
“He’s getting more and more comfortable with what we’re asking him to do,” Gannon said last week. “He’s obviously played a lot of football, but I like where his game’s trending.”