Kyler Murray becomes latest NFC West quarterback to suffer season-ending injury

On the third play of the Arizona Cardinals’ ‘Monday Night Football’ loss to the New England Patriots, Kyler Murray scrambled and planted awkwardly on his right leg before falling to the ground on his own. Murray didn’t get up, and it was very easy to assume the worst had happened. Sadly, Murray’s injury was as significant as feared.

The fourth-year quarterback tore his ACL and is obviously done for the year.

Arizona will rely on Colt McCoy for the rest of the season, which never really got going and at 4-9 they could be mathematically out of playoff contention as soon as this weekend.

Injuries have wreaked havoc to NFC West quarterbacks this season. Trey Lance suffered a broken ankle against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, paving the way for Jimmy Garoppolo to return to the San Francisco 49ers lineup. Garoppolo broke his foot two weeks ago against the Miami Dolphins, and while the injury is not as bad as initially feared, Kyle Shanahan did clarify that the recovery time doesn’t mean he’ll be ready to play again this season.

Los Angeles Rams starter Matthew Stafford is on injured reserve with a spinal contusion and while he’d be eligible to return before the regular season finale against the Seahawks, the Rams aren’t going to the playoffs so his season is as good as over.

Now we have Murray’s season ended prematurely due to a non-contact ACL tear, which occurred only weeks after he suffered a hamstring injury that caused him to miss a couple of starts.

A season that started with Geno Smith, Kyler Murray, Trey Lance, and Matthew Stafford as the NFC West signal-callers is now Geno, Colt McCoy, Brock Purdy, and Baker Mayfield.