Cardinals' Kyler Murray returns to practice, designated to return from PUP ahead of Week 7

The QB has been rehabbing from an ACL tear

Ten months after suffering an ACL tear that ended his 2022 season, Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was back at practice Wednesday, with Arizona designating him to return from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Murray and the Cardinals had previously declined to put a timeline on the QB's potential return. After missing Arizona's first six games of 2023, the former Pro Bowler now has 21 days to be activated to the 53-man roster, or else he'll be required to sit out the remainder of the season. Opening the year on the PUP list required him to miss at least four games.

Even with his milestone Wednesday, Murray isn't expected to see game action immediately.

"I know the work that he's put in, the people that have helped him get to this point," head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters. "You can't praise enough the whole medical staff, the performance staff, the doctors. But he hasn't taken a snap in this offense, either. So we've gotta see him do a lot of things. But I know he's excited to get out there and start playing some football."

If the Cardinals delay Murray's move to the active roster until the end of his 21-day practice window, he'd be in line to make his 2023 debut in Week 10, when Arizona hosts the Falcons on Nov. 12. But it's also possible the Cardinals could activate Murray without starting him if they don't believe he's healthy enough to play by that point.

The team has gone 1-5 without the former No. 1 overall pick, with veteran backup Joshua Dobbs starting in his place. Dobbs was acquired via trade from the Browns just before Week 1, replacing previous backup Colt McCoy as Murray's fill-in.