Advertisement

Kyler Murray removed from injury report as return to Cardinals gets closer

All that's left for Kyler Murray's return to the Arizona Cardinals' lineup is the team deciding it's the right time.

Murray, officially, isn't injured anymore. He was removed from the injury report Thursday. That's a great sign in Murray's return from a torn ACL suffered late last season.

Murray not being on the injury report doesn't necessarily mean he'll start Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, but it's another positive step toward his return.

Kyler Murray was removed from the Arizona Cardinals' injury report on Thursday. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Kyler Murray was removed from the Arizona Cardinals' injury report Thursday. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

The Cardinals have been smart about not rushing Murray back. The Cardinals didn't have Super Bowl. aspirations this season, and there was no need to risk the health of their $230 million quarterback. He was removed from the physically unable to perform list and returned to practice Oct. 18. That opened a 21-day window for Murray to be activated to the roster. Him being removed from the injury report is a great indication that he's feeling good.

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon was secretive about his quarterback decision in Week 1 and that probably is how he'll treat news on Murray's return to the lineup. He didn't say much about Murray's status on Wednesday.

"Just keep going about our business and our process, get him out there today and see where it goes," Gannon told the media Wednesday.

If Murray isn't back this week, it's understandable. The Cardinals have been cautious and will want to make sure he's fully ready to go before taking the step of putting him back in the lineup. They've taken it one step at a time, and for the past couple weeks all the steps have been positive.