The Arizona Cardinals will start Jacoby Brissett at quarterback for the fourth consecutive game when they visit the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon announced the decision Tuesday, one day after Brissett guided Arizona to a 27-17 road victory over the Dallas Cardinals. The 32-year-old passed for 261 yards and two touchdowns against Dallas.
Kyler Murray (foot) was injured during a loss to the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 5 and hasn’t played since. The Cardinals (3-5) have felt Murray was close to a return in recent weeks but there have also been reports suggesting Murray could be sidelined for up to eight weeks.
Gannon hasn’t ruled out the possibility of Murray going on injured reserve. He also said Tuesday that Brissett would be the starting quarterback against Seattle even if Murray was healthy.
“It’s a hypothetical to me, but yeah, I like where we are at with the offense moving forward,” Gannon said.
Brissett, 32, has passed for 860 yards and six touchdowns in his three starts. He also had been intercepted just once.
The Cardinals are averaging 25.7 points per game under Brissett with a low output of 23 games.
In Murray’s five starts, Arizona averaged 20.6 points and scored more than 21 points just once.
“I do like how we are operating as an offense,” Gannon said. “In my mind I take all the variables in my decision and make the decision when I need to. I think we’re doing a pretty good job on offense.”
The strength of Seattle’s defense also influenced the decision.
“This week’s going to be a new challenge,” Gannon said. “In my opinion, the tape that I’ve watched so far, this is the best defense that we have faced, so it’ll be a big time challenge, especially at their place.”
Immediately after Monday’s victory, Gannon asserted that Murray would be the starter when healthy.
Gannon told reporters Tuesday that he spoke to Murray about the situation.
“He’s doing well. He wants to be out there,” Gannon said of Murray. “He’s a competitor. I talked to him today, but he’s a good teammate and he’s working to get healthy.”
Murray, 28, has completed 68.3% of his passes for 962 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions in five starts this season. The two-time Pro Bowl selection has rushed for a team-high 173 yards and one score.