A cloud quickly fell over Monday night’s game between the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, when Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray sustained an injury and was carted off in the opening minutes.
On the third play from scrimmage, Murray scrambled to his right. Murray looked to try to cut to the inside but fell to the ground quickly after planting his right leg.
Kyler Murray goes down with an injury. He's being carted off. pic.twitter.com/vV4PGwASIa
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) December 13, 2022
Peyton Manning, who was doing the ManningCast with his brother, Eli, said that he was “absolutely sick seeing Kyler carted off.”
"I'm absolutely sick seeing Kyler getting carted off… I hate it… I'm sick."-Peyton Manning pic.twitter.com/mniKPvBTPY
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 13, 2022
Peyton and Eli were not alone. The NFL sent its best wishes Murray’s way after the injury.
Just terrible to see…
The young man was carded off following this non-contact leg injury. https://t.co/P7izuCtoaK— 🎙Bauer – 🧵: @BauerOnTheMic (@BauerOnTheMic) December 13, 2022
The cart is immediately out for Kyler Murray, who went down with a non-contact injury. That sucks.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 13, 2022
Awful. Hoping for the best for Kyler 🙏
Injuries are the worst. https://t.co/qoTKdmzKae
— Drea Blackwell (@KSBWDrea) December 13, 2022
Prayers up for Kyler Murray
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) December 13, 2022
Give Kyler my ACL MCL Meniscus all of it. Anything he needs.
— Joe Orrico (@NoExpertFF) December 13, 2022
The exact injury and severity won’t be known until more tests are done. That said, the fact that it was non-contact, came on a plant and that Murray fell so quickly to the ground points to a likely ACL tear.
Seen too many ACL tears happen like this in this sport to not think that this is what just happened to Kyler https://t.co/2uOELyzsGk
— Adam Patrick (@adampatrickNFL) December 13, 2022
The buckle in his knee and the non-contact for Kyler Murray screams ACL
Hope I’m wrong
pic.twitter.com/c9i6aWDYWS— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) December 13, 2022
And if that is the case, Murray probably won’t return to action until the 2023 season is well underway.
Kyler Murray —
Right Knee appears to buckle. Concern for ACL.
If so, it’ll be 8.5 months to 2023 Week 1.. 10.5 months to mid-November.
Probably won’t see the rushing upside return until late 2023 or 2024.
Chance he starts the 2023 season on PUP. pic.twitter.com/fjUttTta9E— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) December 13, 2022
This would make what’s already been a turbulent, frustrating season for Murray and the Cardinals even worse.
It is possible that the injury won’t be as bad as it initially looked. We saw that earlier in Week 14 with Deebo Samuel and the San Francisco 49ers. The key difference, though, was that Samuel’s injury was full contact and was largely caused by being tackled among a big group of people. Murray’s injury being non-contact makes it harder to have an optimistic outlook.
