The Arizona Cardinals veteran player Colt McCoy has appeared to be the team’s leader when it pertains to getting the start in the preseason as Kyler Murray’s anticipated replacement. He was apparently in a good physical tone with the Cardinals.
However, prior to the start of the regular season, the Cardinals took a bold move with regard to both of their seasoned quarterbacks McCoy and Murray in order to reduce the 90-man roster to 53 players and have more quarterback depth.
Why Cardinals release QB Colt McCoy? Explained
Due to Murray’s injury, the Cardinals reportedly kept an eagle eye on Colt who was the first-team quarterback all spring, training camp, and preseason. However, in a shocking trade, the team traded a fifth-round pick in 2024 to the Cleveland Browns for acquiring quarterback Josh Dobbs just four days ago.
At that time, it looked like they acquired Dobbs to add intense competition for their quarterback room. Yet, one Monday the Cardinals team blew away all the rumors by releasing their vet player McCoy.
Cardinals release QB Colt McCoy. (via @PSchrags) pic.twitter.com/emh6uBeoV9
— NFL (@NFL) August 28, 2023
Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon asserted that after witnessing the 36-year-old in OTA, training camp, and preseason, they failed to discover a “full body of work”. Only for that, they ended up planning their regular season roster without him.
“I don’t think it’s anything he didn’t show us. I think it was just looking at OTAs and then training camp and the games and the full body of work, we just feel like this is the best way to go.”
Colt signed a contract with the Cardinals in 2021, and during his brief time there, he had a 3-3 record as a starter, 1,520 passing yards, four touchdowns, and a 71% completion rate.
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray to start NFL 2023 on PUP list
Having undergone surgery in early January after suffering a right knee injury on “Monday Night Football” the previous season, Murray’s projected comeback date to practice remained unknown as of this Monday. The Cardinals ultimately determined that Kyler won’t be taken off the PUP list by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.
It made it clear that he would start the regular season on the physically-unable-to-perform list and miss at least the first four games. However, if he is able to recuperate, he will have 21 days to train before being added to the 53-man roster. He will have to sit out the full season if he fails to manage that.
The Arizona Cardinals head coach claimed that they are placing a lot of pressure on getting the veteran player back to full health and form but did not provide a specific timetable.
“He’s got a plan that’s football related, and he’s got a plan that’s rehab related, and both are important, but obviously the plan that’s most important right now is his health. So, when we structure his day and his week and this last month with him, we plan accordingly for that.”
Even though Gannon resisted naming a starter on Monday, the Arizona Cardinals appear set to select Dobbs or fifth-round pick Clayton Tune as their starting during Week 1 of the regular season.
Can Dobbs or Tune give the Cardinals more of a chance to win than McCoy? What do you think? Let us know in the comment box.
