BREAKING: Cardinals QB Kyler Murray Tears ACL, Avoids Falcons Week 17 Matchup

Kyler Murray's season is over, something that could benefit the Atlanta Falcons in their playoff pursuit.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 13, 2022

The Atlanta Falcons are preparing to face the New Orleans Saints in a crucial division game this weekend, but news about their Week 17 game surfaced Tuesday afternoon.

According to NFL Network, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray tore his ACL in Monday night's loss to the New England Patriots, ending his season.

The Cardinals' record dropped to 4-9 with the loss, likely ending any slim playoff hopes the team may have had.

The Falcons, who sit one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South division lead, will likely need to beat the Cardinals in Week 17 in order to keep pace in the race.

The Cardinals will likely turn to veteran backup Colt McCoy, who threw for 246 yards and an interception in Monday's loss. McCoy started two games for the Cardinals in Weeks 10 & 11 while Murray was out with a hamstring injury.

McCoy will likely face rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder, who will be scheduled to make his first home start in Week 17 after debuting this upcoming Sunday against the Saints. Ridder was named the starter last week, replacing Marcus Mariota after poor performances in the past few games.

The Cardinals visit the Falcons on New Year's Day in Atlanta. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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Published Dec 13, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.