Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon notes Kyler Murray may need 'weeks of practice'

Quarterback Kyler Murray continues to post short clips on social media hinting about his upcoming return to the Arizona Cardinals’ starting lineup. But it might not be as soon as he or his fans want.

Coach Jonathan Gannon on Friday made it clear that just because Murray can be activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list on Oct. 2, it doesn’t mean he’ll be ready to play Week 5 against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals.

Gannon said it could take “weeks of practice” before Murray plays in a game following his ongoing rehab from a torn ACL. That’s not new information, really, but it’s one of the first times Gannon has offered some clarification regarding a timetable for Murray.

“He’s doing well, and we know the timetable of when he can return to play, but that doesn’t mean that he’s going to return to play and open his window then,” Gannon said. “We’ll get him going when he's physically and mentally ready to play and knowing that it’s going to take him some time and some weeks of practice to get comfortable with what he’s doing.

“I’m not in a hurry with that. I’d love to have him out there, he’s itching to be back, but we’ll take that one day at a time.”

There is a chance, Gannon acknowledged, that Murray might not need multiple weeks of practice before stepping into the starting lineup.

“The plan is adaptable, depending on when he comes back, how he looks, what he does, how he feels,” Gannon said. “The greatest input with that will be him and then we’ll make the collective decision to put him out there.”

Cardinals wide receiver Hollywood Brown was asked this week how close he thinks Murray, his good friend, is to returning to playing football after Murray posted videos and images of his strength work and leg muscles indicating he'll be back soon.

"I haven't been able to see him run because we're practicing and he's out there early, but whenever I do catch a glimpse of him, he's moving good. So it's been good to see," Brown said. "I can tell on the sideline he's itching. He's putting in his input what he sees out there, even in practice. I can tell he's ready to get back."

Once Murray is activated off the PUP list, the Cardinals will have to find a way to get all three of their quarterbacks a reasonable amount of reps in practice. Josh Dobbs, the current starter, will need to keep getting first-team reps while he continues to be the starter and backup, rookie Clayton Tune, will also need to get some work in.

Then there’s Murray, who will want as many reps as possible.

“I think we’ve got a good plan with that,” Gannon said. “We structure practice in a way that’s very competitive so that guys get the reps they need to improve their game while also covering other things for the opponent.

“I feel good about the plan when he does get back … of making sure Josh is ready to go and Clayton is ready to go and (Murray) is getting his stuff, too, that he needs to start coming along.”

About that Josh Dobbs TD run

Dobbs scored his first NFL rushing touchdown last week against the Giants on a 23-yard run that ended with him trucking over New York safety Xavier McKinney near the goal line and into the end zone for a 14-0 Arizona lead.

It was the kind of physical, roughshod play that made the Cardinals’ entire sideline jump up and cheer and it may have sent a subtle message to the entire team about what it’s going to take to win games this season for an Arizona franchise expected to finish with one of the worst records in the NFL.

“That was impressive. Josh is a heck of an athlete,” tight end Zach Ertz said. “I think that’s obviously an underrated part of his game. Josh is playing like a guy who wants to seize this opportunity and everyone sees that. … You could see the hunger, and I would say the determination on that play.”

On the play, Dobbs said he saw the Giants were in man-to-man coverage and the offensive line had created a wide-open hole up the middle for him to scramble. But what was he thinking when he got closer to the goal line and saw McKinney there before bowling him over and powering his way in for the score?

“Once they stay high, you have to initiate it,” Dobbs said. “It’s simple physics, right? A body in motion stays in motion and you’ve got to apply more force than the opposite force coming at you, so we were able to do that and get in the end zone.”

Scouting report: Will Arizona finally get first win of the season?

Feeling for Trevon Diggs

Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs suffered a torn ACL during a non-contact drill in practice on Thursday and is lost for the season, a devastating development for Dallas that wasn’t lost on Gannon.

“You’ve just got to know who they’re playing with and who we’re going against and how that impacts with what you’re doing on offense, defense, special teams — obviously with our offense,” Gannon said, adding of Diggs, an All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl selection, “You feel bad and never want to see that happen.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to him. He’s a great player and it’s part of the game, but you hate to see that obviously.”

Progress: Kyler Murray's latest message to Arizona Cardinals fans: 'Soon'

Quick outs

—Ertz said he reached 10 months since his knee surgery on Monday, and is feeling "back to himself, flying around," even though he's more sore on Mondays and Tuesdays after games than in the past. Thursdays are when he feels back to normal, and then on Fridays he is at optimal movement, Ertz said.

—The Cardinals have ruled out defensive lineman Carlos Watkins (biceps) and inside linebacker Josh Woods (ankle) for Sunday's game against the visiting Cowboys. Defensive tackle Leki Fotu (shoulder) is listed as questionable.

—For the Cowboys, center Tyler Biadasz (hamstring) and guard Zack Martin (ankle) are questionable.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals' Kyler Murray may need weeks of practice before playing