Cardinals HC shares hope for Kyler Murray following ACL surgery

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has suggested nobody should read too much into quarterback Kyler Murray working out at this stage of his recovery from knee surgery. 

"I’m not [on] Twitter or wherever he posted that, but obviously I talk to Kyler a lot," Gannon said Tuesday about a video Murray shared on social media last week, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "He’s got competitive juice, so he wants to be doing everything that he can to get out there when he can to help the team win. So, pleased where that’s at. I think I told him the other day, 'As good as you feel, there’s going to be a little bit of a dip. You’ve got to make sure you don’t overdo it, too.'" 

Gannon said back in February that "if Kyler Murray isn’t here, I don’t take this job" even though it's believed the two-time Pro Bowl selection could miss at least half of the 2023-24 season following ACL surgery that included a meniscus repair he had in January. Interestingly, Murray shared his latest workout clip shortly after former Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said during a podcast appearance that the 25-year-old "still needs to grow." 

Keim was hardly the first individual to express doubts this offseason about Murray's dedication to the cause after the signal-caller signed a five-year contract extension reportedly worth $230.5M with $160M guaranteed last summer. Gannon indicated he wants Murray to worry about getting to 100% more than about returning to the field to face live defenses as soon as possible this fall. 

"That’s a part [of] being smart when you rehab from any injury," Gannon continued. "You want to go, go, go. Sometimes you’ve got to push the pause button a little bit. But, excited about where he’s at and where he’s going."

While it's still early in the process, one wonders if Gannon's comments hint that Murray could essentially complete a red-shirt season if the Cardinals are in or near the basement of the league standings when the quarterback is cleared to play.