Kyler Murray suffered a torn ACL in December of 2022. After 11 months of rehabilitation and training, the former No. 1 overall draft pick returned to the field Sunday against the Falcons.

Murray looked like himself during the win. His first throw sailed high but that was probably a blessing for Hollywood Brown, who was being led into a sandwich between two Falcons defenders. The interception was bad and another was very nearly picked off, but overall it was a positive debut for the former No. 1 overall selection.

Murray was evading pressure and extending plays all afternoon. The quarterback had some beautiful throws dropping the ball in a bucket downfield. Second-year tight end Trey McBride was one particular beneficiary of Murray’s return. McBride had eight receptions for 131 yards, becoming the first Cardinals tight end with at least 100 receiving yards since 1989.

The Cardinals will be better with Murray, but what will his return mean for Arizona’s draft plans and the team’s future as a whole?

Where the Cardinals will likely pick

The win percentage of the seven remaining teams on Arizona’s schedule is .563, which includes games against the Steelers, 49ers, Seahawks and Eagles. It is a difficult road for any team to navigate. After the Week 10 win over Atlanta, the franchise’s odds of getting the No. 1 overall selection dropped from 37% to 18%. There is still a 62.5% chance that the team picks inside the top 3, according to SportsLine’s projections.

The Cardinals’ roster is deficient of talent in a lot of areas but the play of its quarterback certainly bridges the gap between other teams in some aspects. They may not be favored in any of their remaining games but an upgrade at the game’s most important position will certainly lead to higher odds of victory. With two wins in their back pocket and remaining games against the Rams and Bears, Arizona cannot afford two more wins if the franchise has any desire to take one of the top two quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. No team outside of the top 2 is guaranteed a chance to draft either North Carolina’s Drake Maye or USC’s Caleb Williams. Over the past 10 drafts, every team with initial rights to the No. 1 overall selection has had three wins or fewer. Houston’s first-round choice in 2024 also belongs to the Cardinals, in the event they need more capital to make a move.

Arizona, along with the Giants and Patriots, have two victories on the season. Carolina is the only team with just one win. The matchup between the Bears and Cardinals on Dec. 24 will undoubtedly create separation in the draft order, giving one franchise an early Christmas gift in the process.

Who Arizona would likely select

Then, there is the question of whether or not Arizona would draft its third first-round quarterback in six years.

First-year head coach Jonathan Gannon and first-year general manager Monti Ossenfort have invested neither draft capital nor finances into Murray. The reality is that they were left with the decisions made by the previous regime. One of those decisions was a 5-year, $230.5 million contract extension given to the ex-Sooner in July of 2022. Murray carries an $81.5 million salary cap hit next season regardless of whether or not he is on the roster. The figure plummets to $33.2 million the following year; a number easily stomached when accompanied by the $6.6 million contract of a potential No. 2 overall selection.

If Arizona can get through the financial hardships that come with Murray’s salary in 2024, then there is no reason for them not to consider cutting ties and drafting a rookie. The remaining seven games are essentially a job interview for Murray. If player and coach are able to build a healthy, collaborative relationship then the organization may be inclined to stick with him. As the Eagles’ former defensive coordinator, Gannon’s ‘D’ went against a dual-threat quarterback every day in practice and saw its viability.

The Cardinals must also consider Murray’s health. He has missed a total of 17 games over the past three seasons. It is cliche but availability is the best ability, as they say.

Finally, there is no guarantee that either Maye or Williams end up being a star at quarterback. If leadership decides to move on from Murray, and he is successful elsewhere while while whichever quarterback they draft fails, that’s the type of situation that could lead to firings.

There is a lot for Arizona to learn over the next month and a half, and even more to consider leading up to the moment they are on the clock in April. And who knows? Maybe they will play their way out of consideration and this entire conversation becomes moot.

The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit, Michigan. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly updated draft order and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.