Kyler Murray's left ankle sprain prevented him from taking part in the Cardinals' first two practices in preparation for Sunday's road game against the 49ers. On Friday, Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said that his quarterback must be able to play at a "high level" from the pocket in order to play on Sunday.
Murray, who sustained the injury during the Cardinals' Week 8 loss to the Packers last Thursday night, was not seen on the field during the open portion of Arizona's practice on Friday. Kingsbury said that Murray will be a game-time decision for Sunday's game.
"We're not going to put them out there unless he can function," Kingsbury said, via ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. "He wants to play so we'll see."
An early league MVP candidate, Murray has completed nearly 73% of his passes this season. He has 17 touchdown passes to go with his three rushing touchdowns. Murray's play this season has been a big reason why the Cardinals were the NFL's last unbeaten team at 7-0.
Veteran Colt McCoy would be in line to start Sunday's game in the event that Murray is inactive. A 12-year veteran, McCoy is 8-22 as a starter during his previous stops in Cleveland, San Francisco, Washington, and New York. In four games with the Giants last season, McCoy completed nearly 61% of his throws with one touchdown and one interception. He went 1-1 as the Giants' starter.
The Cardinals opened as a 1-point favorite, according to Caesars Sportsbook, but with Murray's status in doubt, the line has shifted and the 49ers are now 2.5-point favorites.
