Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, WR DeAndre Hopkins playing vs. Bears

The Arizona Cardinals are getting a big offensive boost in Week 13. 

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury told NFL Network’s Stacey Dales that both quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins are both playing against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Both Murray and Hopkins have been out since Week 8 due to injury. Murray has been dealing with an ankle issue, while Hopkins hurt his hamstring. Murray had been agitating for an earlier return, and his status for Week 11 was a game-time decision, but with Arizona on bye Week 12, the decision was made to keep Murray off the field so he could be fully rested.

Starting in Murray’s place has been Colt McCoy, who acquitted himself well. He won two of the three games he’s started for Murray, with those wins coming against division rivals: the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. The loss wasn’t pretty — a 34-10 blowout to the Carolina Panthers in Week 10 — but McCoy rebounded in Week 12 with one of the best games of his career. Against the Seahawks he completed 35 of 44 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cardinals were 7-1 when Murray and Hopkins went down with injuries, and it wasn’t a sure thing that the team would be able to hold the line without two of their superstars. But they did, and now Murray and Hopkins are returning to a team that still has the best record in the NFL and making them even stronger.