QB Kyler Murray's status tops five key storylines for Cardinals entering camp

Kyler Murray's upward trend in his NFL career took a precipitous fall in 2022. He was headed for career-lows in passing yards (2,368), passing touchdowns (14) and rushing yards (418) even before suffering a season-ending ACL injury and meniscus tear to his right knee in a Week 14 home contest against the New England Patriots.

Murray had surgery on Jan. 3 and from all reports has been working diligently to get back on the field as soon as possible. It's the first significant injury the fifth-year QB has suffered in his football career. 

"It's frustrating, especially because I feel like since I've been in the league, all we've done is go up," Murray told the team's website in his first public comments since the injury.

"I got better every year. And to like hit a wall in Year 4, especially after going through the whole contract thing. I got COVID in camp. I hurt my wrist in camp, so I missed a lot of those reps. And then trying to play catch-up during the season, it was just like a compilation of f----- up things going on."

When the Cardinals start training camp next week under new head coach Jonathan Gannon, Murray will be a little over six-and-a-half months removed from surgery. Traditionally, ACL knee issues take nine-to-12 months to heal before players can return. So it will be an uphill climb for Murray to take the field for the Cardinals when their regular season begins on Sept. 10 at Washington. 

Murray's return is one of five main storylines to watch as the Cardinals try to rebound from a disappointing 4-13 finish in 2022 that led to the firing of head coach Kliff Kingsbury. 

When will Kyler Murray take the field?

Murray was relegated to taking mental reps on the sideline during offseason work while focusing on his rehabilitation at Arizona's training facility. Veteran backup Colt McCoy is expected to start at quarterback if Murray is not cleared for the start of the regular season.

While Murray remains optimistic that he can return to the field quickly, the Cardinals have essentially punted on the 2023 season. They chose not to retain key players in free agency, including defensive lineman Zach Allen and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., and released the team's top receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, who this week signed with the Tennessee Titans. The Cardinals also failed to bring in frontline talent to help fill the void of those departures. 

Murray likely will start training camp on the physically unable to perform list, giving the Cardinals ample time to evaluate his recovery process and making sure his knee is fully healthy before stepping on the field.

A realistic target for Murray to play would be the midpoint of the season. But the QB remains focused on getting back sooner rather than later and is taking a glass-half-full approach to his rehab. 

"It's got to be a positive," Murray told the team's website. "There really is no option for it to be a negative. I feel like you get your little grace period as soon as it happens. Dwell on it, soak it in and let the feelings take over. 

"But after that, we've got to go. Life doesn't stop. The job doesn't stop. My ultimate goal is to get better and obviously win Super Bowls. That's my goal." 

Murray is 25-31-1 as a starter. He has an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and two Pro Bowls to his credit. He just signed a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension last season. At just 25 years old, Murray still has time to mature and grow as a player and as a person.

Yet another position change for Isaiah Simmons

Entering his fourth season, talented and explosive defender Isaiah Simmons is still searching for his most productive role in Arizona's scheme.

Gannon, who led one of the NFL's best defenses during his time as defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, moved Simmons to safety full-time during the offseason after the Clemson product spent most of the 2022 season playing a hybrid slot defender role.

The Cardinals declined to pick up Simmons' fifth-year option earlier this year, giving him one last season to prove his worth on his rookie deal before hitting free agency next season. 

The No. 8 overall selection in the 2020 draft, Simmons finished with 99 combined tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles last season. He made some game-changing plays, including a forced fumble that led to an overtime road win over the Las Vegas Raiders. But he also was out of position at times in pass coverage, leading to chunk plays for opposing offenses.

For a defense looking for a consistent pass rush, Simmons, who has 7.5 career sacks, may be a better option coming off the edge than dropping into coverage. Simmons had just 65 pass rush snaps last year, according to Pro Football Focus. 

Who will be Arizona's leading sack guy?

The Cardinals lost their top two pass rushers from last season when J.J. Watt (12.5 sacks) retired and Allen (5.5) signed with the Broncos in free agency, joining former Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph in Denver.

Simmons was No. 3 on the list with four sacks last year. Myjai Sanders, a third-round selection in the 2022 draft, finished with 2.5 sacks in a limited role and could be more productive with expanded playing time. Fellow rookie Cameron Thomas also showed glimpses of effective pass-rush ability in 2022.

The Cardinals selected BJ Ojulari in the second round of this year's draft and are flirting with having Zaven Collins, last year's leading tackler, take some snaps as the edge rusher.

The bottom line is the Cardinals need to generate more sacks than the 36 they finished with last year. 

How will Cardinals replace DeAndre Hopkins' production?

Arizona has no one currently on the team's roster who profiles as a replacement for a long-armed, sticky-handed receiver like Hopkins. So it will be a committee approach to replace one of the most talented receivers in the NFL. 

Marquise "Hollywood" Brown is the top returner statistically, finishing with 67 receptions for 709 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his first season with the Cardinals in 2022. Greg Dortch showed promise as an injury replacement, finishing with 52 receptions for 467 yards and two scores. And Arizona would like to see a breakout season from talented slot receiver Rondale Moore.

However, in terms of size, at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, rookie Michael Wilson projects as a player who could stretch the field and make contested catches with his size and speed. A third-round selection out of Stanford, Wilson earned praise from some of Arizona's defensive players during offseason work. 

Are Cardinals tanking for 2024?

Gannon bristled during a press conference earlier this year when the word "rebuilding" was mentioned, stating his team is working to win games now. 

While that's an understandable and necessary approach for every coach, the sad truth is the Cardinals are the betting favorite to have the worst record in the NFL this season, which would get them the top pick in the 2024 draft. 

New general manager Monti Ossenfort did a good job of maximizing Arizona's ability to add young talent down the road by moving down in this year's draft and acquiring the Houston Texans' first-round pick next year, potentially giving the Cardinals two high picks in 2024. The Cardinals currently have 11 picks in next year's draft.

But Gannon is rightly more focused on the present than the future, attempting to create a culture of sustainable success for Arizona. 

"This is a whole, one team out and bringing another one in," Murray said about the coaching regime change. "So it's pretty different for me, but it's been seamless. Me and JG [Gannon] hit it off. He sees things the way I see things. 

"He believes in the guys, and he is trying to get the guys better — and me better. I feel like you will run through a wall for that type of guy. And that's the type of energy that he brings. So it's been good." 

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.