The Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday are expected to sign practice squad quarterback Shane Buechele to their active roster, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio’s Adam Caplan.
What’s that got to do with the Arizona Cardinals?
According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Kansas City signed Buechele to keep the Arizona Cardinals from adding the quarterback to their own active roster.
That should be a red flag regarding Arizona’s health situation at its quarterback position.
Starter Kyler Murray is still navigating an ankle injury that cost him the past two weeks. He appeared at practice Friday but did not suit up for the game.
Starting in Murray’s place, backup Colt McCoy suffered a pectoral strain at the end of a loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. A report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Monday indicated that McCoy would be able to play through his pectoral injury.
Third-stringer Chris Streveler replaced McCoy, but Arizona’s apparent desire to add another quarterback to the roster indicates Murray or McCoy is not expected to play Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. At the least, it means the Cardinals want insurance at the position.
Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Monday that he wanted to remain careful about rushing Murray back before Arizona enters a bye week following the Sunday game in Seattle.
“He wants to be back out there, but collectively, we’re all trying to come to the best place with it, whether it’s this Sunday or the bye,” Kingsbury said. “We’re ultimately gonna do what’s best for Kyler and the Cardinals and go from there. It’s gonna be close. I’m not sure if he’ll be able to go and play his game or not, but I’m hopeful.”
Buechele, 23, is in his rookie season and in college spent 2016-18 with the Texas Longhorns before finishing his career at SMU from 2019-20.
In his senior season, the 6-foot, 208-pound quarterback completed 65% of his passes for 3,095 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Over three preseason NFL games, Buechele completed 37 of 55 (67%) passes for 422 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
He went 9-of-11 for 115 yards, a touchdown and a pick against the Cardinals on Aug. 20.