Cardinals’ Kyler Murray starts against the Patriots with a knee injury. He is reportedly afraid he may have torn his anterior cruciate ligament

The basics Hopes they prove themselves offensively Monday night vs Patriots, who boast one of the NFL’s weakest defenses under Bill Belichick. Just three games into the prime time game, however, Arizona lost its starting quarterback, Kyler Murray, to a non-contact knee injury. The #1 draft pick scrambled on the Cardinals’ first drive of the game, only to have his right knee seemingly clipped on his way to the turf. He was moved to the locker room and replaced by veteran backup Colt McCoy. Murray is believed to have torn his anterior cruciate ligament, According to Mike Gorecki.

Cardinals ruled at the beginning Murray was dubious of his return, although the QB looked frustrated when he was taken, covering his head with a towel as his teammates comforted him. McCoy, who stumbled in his first series as he took charge of the team under position against New England, previously started two games in place of Murray this year, drawing 1-1 while the latter recovered from a hamstring injury. Early in the second quarter, the Cardinals officially dismissed Murray, leaving McCoy to fill in for the remainder of the contest.

“Obviously it wasn’t good,” team coach Cliff Kingsbury told reporters after the game. “I’d never seen (Murray) in that kind of form, so I assumed he wasn’t good.”

An MRI and additional tests will confirm the severity of Murray’s injury. An ACL tear will sideline the QB for the remainder of 2022 and possibly part of the 2023 campaign since such damage typically requires nine to 12 months of rehabilitation. Murray has struggled with injuries in each of his four NFL seasons since entering 2019, missing three games in 2021 due to ankle problems. However, the torn ACL represents the most significant medical blow of his career, and may prompt Arizona to rely on McCoy, or another veteran replacement, next season.

Murray, 25, just this overseas signed a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension that ties him to Arizona through 2028. He also battled controversy for much of the year, particularly a feud with the Cardinals’ brass before signing his new contract, He publicly criticized reporters for the over-coverage of contingencies in his contract, and outside criticism of his leadership during the team’s 4-8 start.