The Arizona Cardinals can't wait for Kyler Murray to return this season. Murray, who suffered an ACL tear last season, returned to practice after the team opened his practice window last week. That should be good news for a team looking for success this season, right? Well, as it turns out, there's some risk with Murray's return.

Adam Schefter details the nearly $30 million risk the Cardinals are taking with Kyler Murray. To sum it up, if Murray does not pass a physical in March next year, the QB's $29.9 salary compensation will be fully guaranteed.

“The Arizona Cardinals want Kyler Murray to play again this season — so badly, in fact, that they are willing to take the financial risk that comes along with the quarterback's return. Murray, who returned to practice last week for the first time since suffering a torn ACL last December, has $29.9 million in 2025 salary compensation that becomes fully guaranteed next March if he can't pass a physical by then.”

Teams have decided against playing quarterbacks to avoid paying exorbitant amounts of money due to injury. The Raiders did that last season with Derek Carr after their season went down the drain. The fact that the Cardinals are willing to take that financial risk to see Murray play is interesting, to say the least.

The Cardinals this season have been surprisingly competitive. Despite not having Murray under center, they've been able to keep pace with some of the better teams in the league. Closing out games is still a struggle for them, though. Perhaps this is why they are eager to see Kyler Murray play this season. They might believe that they have a chance of sneaking into the playoffs with Murray back.