Kyler Murray Wants to Return Earlier Than You Think

Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray has placed some lofty goals for his return.

There's plenty of question marks surrounding the 2023 Arizona Cardinals, though none are bigger than the health of Kyler Murray.

It feels like just yesterday Murray was being escorted into the tunnel of State Farm Stadium after what was ultimately an ACL tear, towel draped over his head and his absence placing the exclamation point on a very lost season from top to bottom.

That was Week 12, and now as the days continue to countdown until training camp, Murray has made plenty of progress throughout his rehab. 

Last week, Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard reported that Murray was very much on track with his recovery and was pushing to return earlier than anticipated. 

"The Cardinals’ star quarterback is in the midst of his ACL recovery and is pushing to return to action as early as possible, according to a source with close knowledge of the situation," wrote Odegard.

"However, the new coaching staff in Arizona has been trying to manage those expectations, intent on taking a measured approach to ensure there is a low chance of re-injury.

"Murray tore his ACL in a December 12 game against the New England Patriots and had surgery on January 3. He began straight-line running a couple weeks ago and has not suffered any setbacks, the source said."

How early would Murray potentially return? If you ask the quarterback himself, you might just be surprised. 

On an upcoming episode of "Flight Plan" (Arizona's video series on YouTube), Murray was on record saying he wants to return at the beginning of the regular season. 

“When you look further down the line, it seems like we got a long way to go. Ideally, I want to be back by Week 1,” Murray said in pre-released audio of the episode (h/t Arizona Sports). “That’s the goal. At the end of the day, that’s the goal, but I can’t really look that far ahead. Got to take it one day at a time.”

A September return would put him right at nine months recovery time, which is plausible especially with modern medicine though it can take longer. 

In some more leaked audio, Murray shared that his mindset has been upbeat while working his way back. 

"It's got to be a positive. There really is no option for it to be a negative," Murray said in terms of attacking the rehab.

"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."

Whether Murray is actually going to return when the Cardinals hit the road for Week 1 against the Washington Commanders remains to be seen - but it sure looks like Murray is bent on making that a reality. 

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