13 July 2023 , 16:25
806
0
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has opened up on his injury woes and why he’s focusing on the positives ahead of the new season.
The Cardinals QB’s 2022 season came to an early end after he suffered an ACL injury on December 12 in a 27-13 loss to the New England Patriots. Since then, the 25-year-old has been building up his recovery ahead of the new season.
Murray, the number one pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, completed 14 touchdown passes in the 11 games he played before getting injured. He signed a five-year contract worth $230.5 million in July 2022, following his impressive first three seasons in Arizona.
The quarterback’s fourth year in the NFL was heavily disrupted due to injury, but now there is renewed optimism of a bright future. The Cardinals hired new head coach Jonathan Gannon and new general manager Monti Ossenfort in the early weeks of 2023, right at the start of Murray’s recovery.
It remains to be seen whether Murray will be fit in time to play in the Cardinals’ Week One opener against the Washington Commanders on September 10. But the quarterback is looking optimistically at his recent injury woes and believes that positive times are ahead.
Joe Burrow backs Patrick Mahomes after Kansas City Chiefs reach Super Bowl
"It's got to be a positive. There really is no option for it to be a negative," Murray told the .
"I feel you get your little grace period right after it happens, dwell on it, soak in it, let the feelings take over. After that, (expletive), we gotta go. Life doesn't stop. The job doesn't stop. And I'm not going to stop."
"I'm thinking of stuff that I wasn't part of, like the draft, who we were gonna get, young players coming out," Murray added.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has been recovering from an ACL injury (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)"The whole (last) year was (expletive). It happened for a reason. The things we were doing weren't sustainable for success. It was necessary and in turn good will come out of what happened."
During the Cardinals organised team activities (OTAs) and training camps over the last couple of months, Murray has stayed inside to continue his rehabilitation. The injury to his right knee on December 12 last year was followed by surgery a few weeks later.
Since then, Murray has been gradually going through his rehab as he prepares to return to the field for the Cardinals. The roster will return for pre-season in August, where Arizona will play three games before the start of the 2023 regular season, and Murray will be looking to have some involvement, even it’s mere support from the sidelines.