For the first time since he was a rookie in 2012, offensive lineman J.R. Sweezy appeared in a game in which he did not start. On Sunday in Week 14 against the New York Giants, Justin Murray started at right guard.
Sweezy was healthy and ended up playing 43 snaps at right guard but Murray was the guy in the lineup to start the game.
In the Cardinals’ new depth chart for Week 15, Murray is listed as the starter with Sweezy as his backup.
Prior to Sunday’s game, he had not come off the bench since Week 15 of 2012. While he has missed games due to injury, he had started 102 straight appearances.
Sweezy is set to be a free agent after the season and has graded out the lowest of the team’s starting offensive linemen this season.
Murray started three games while Sweezy missed time with an elbow injury and then rotated in for series in Week 13.
He was signed to a two-year contract extension earlier this season and appeared to be on track to be a starter next year. He is ahead of schedule.
On Sunday, after the 27-6 win over the New York Giants, head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Murray “did a nice job stepping in” but would not say whether having him in the lineup as the starter would continue. “We’ll kind of see where that goes,” he said after the game.
When asked about it on Monday, he also did not say whether Murray would remain the starter.
He did have high praise for him, though, citing the time he had in 2019 as their starting right tackle.
“With Justin, when he came here, we asked him to start at tackle for 12 games, so he’s been a starter for us at another position,” he told reporters on Monday. ‘We always felt he could slide in there and start at a high level whether it was tackle or guard, regardless. He’s a guy that was on, I think, six or seven teams previous to us, works his tail off. The guys in the room love him. They know what he’s been through, so to see him get his opportunities and continue to take advantage of them, as a coach, it’s really great to see.”
The Cardinals are 3-1 when Murray starts this season.
Depending on the status of Justin Pugh this week, Murray might be in the lineup at left guard. When Pugh left the game, Murray moved over to the left side and Sweezy played right guard.
With three games remaining in the regular season, the Cardinals have the opportunity to see whether or not they need to go out and spend big money at guard in free agency in the offseason, or whether things will be held down nicely by Murray moving forward.
[listicle id=447111]
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Latest show:
Previous shows:
and