Cardinals place QB Colt McCoy on IR with strained calf

The Cardinals will begin the season without their backup quarterback. Colt McCoy landed on IR Wednesday. Arizona promoted Trace McSorley from its practice squad.

McCoy did not play during Arizona’s preseason slate. While Kliff Kingsbury said the veteran backup was dealing with arm soreness early in training camp, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets the 13th-year passer suffered a strained calf.

Although the Cardinals would hope not to need McCoy this season, given that his participation is tied to Kyler Murray‘s availability, they did need him in 2021. McCoy helped the Cards to two wins — each over NFC West rivals — that certainly went a long way toward the team booking a wild-card berth.

McCoy, who turned 36 on Monday, re-signed with the team this offseason on a two-year, $7.5M deal. Formerly a Ravens backup, McSorely wound up in Arizona in November 2021; the Cardinals signed him off the Ravens’ practice squad. The team used McSorley frequently during its 2022 preseason but opted to waive him. The former sixth-round pick stayed with the team on a P-squad agreement, but he will now be Murray’s primary backup.