Cardinals GM: Kyler Murray will ‘be out there’ as QB1 when healthy

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon has confirmed multiple times that Kyler Murray is their QB1 while the facing the music of the dramatic difference backup Jacoby Brissett made last week against the Indianapolis Colts.

General manger Monti Ossenfort is focused on Murray’s health progression moving forward.

“We’re going to continue to try to get Kyler healthy and get him in a position where he can get back to doing the things that we know he can do on the field,” Ossenfort told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Friday. “When he’s doing that, he’ll be out there.”

Murray has been limited with a foot injury on both Wednesday and Thursday and the GM said Arizona is preparing a game plan if “he’s not ready to go.” Behind Brissett is Scottsdale native Kedon Slovis for needed depth at signal caller. Murray was throwing to practice squad players on Friday while Brissett and Slovis were throwing to those on the first-team.

Currently at 2-4 and with the Green Bay Packers coming into town before a Week 8 bye, the Cardinals are seeking to end a four-game losing streak, which may factor into Ossenfort’s buying or selling mentality at the upcoming trade deadline set for Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. MST.

Other Cardinals injury updates

While rookie offensive lineman Walter Nolen III recently had his practice window opened, Gannon said Friday he will not be activated off of the physically unable to perform list ahead of Sunday.

After putting on shoulder pads for just about the first time since Nolen’s time with Ole Miss in December, Ossenfort said his top 2025 draft pick “looked good” on Thursday.

Cardinals rookie Walter Nolen III back on the practice field and participating ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/xYZdD3JVwW

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) October 16, 2025

“We have a plan that it’s not as easy just to say, ‘Oh, he got two practices in and let’s get him out there,'” Ossenfort said. “We got to be smart about this and we got to do what is right for Walt and both his health and what he’s ready to do for the team.”

Nolen has 21 days from his practice window opening on Wednesday to be activated off the PUP list.

Both receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (concussion) and defensive end Darius Robinson (pectoral) are progressing after limited status on Thursday, the former without a yellow non-contact jersey at practice and the latter “back in the saddle,” according to Gannon.

Running back Emari Demercado (ankle) will be out for Sunday.

As for Harrison’s overall leap in Year 2 in the NFL, Ossenfort said he has largely grown out of the “abnormal” early stretch of the season and will be “a big part of our offense moving forward.”

Cardinals GM still forming posture toward trade deadline

Ossenfort wasn’t concrete about what kind of move the Cardinals may make before the deadline but will lean on his track record from the past two seasons.

“If something makes sense for us to do, we will not hesitate to do it,” Ossenfort said.

Arizona was active in both of Ossenfort’s first two years at the forefront of franchise decision-making, shipping away quarterback Joshua Dobbs and a seventh round pick for a future sixth rounder in 2023 and acquiring linebacker Baron Browning from the Denver Broncos for a sixth round pick in 2024.

With how the roster’s constructed, and even with the one-score losses piling up, the GM expressed his confidence in the group.

“We have a good locker room, we have good players and those guys, no one’s more frustrated than them and they’re anxious to find a way to get over the hump here to find a way to get a win on Sunday,” Ossenfort said.

Cardinals-Packers from State Farm Stadium will kick off at 1:25 p.m. MST and can be heard on 98.7. Watch the action on FOX.

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