Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters Friday that rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson and veteran wide receiver Zay Jones are not quite ready to return yet against the Green Bay Packers this Sunday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Both Robinson and Jones were on the practice field for the first time all season on Wednesday. Robinson, the team’s No. 27 overall pick, had been on injured reserve with a calf injury since the original 53-man roster was announced in August, and Arizona officially opened the 21-day practice window for him Wednesday.
The team can activate Robinson to the 53-man roster at any time during the next 21 days or at the conclusion of the three-week period, and Gannon said they are choosing to wait at least one more week after Robinson was limited in practice on Wednesday and did not participate Thursday.
“We opened his window, (but he) had a little bit of discomfort,” Gannon said before Friday’s practice. “So we’re going to be smart with him.”
The Cardinals have already suffered two major blows on the defensive line with starting defensive tackle Justin Jones (torn triceps) and outside linebacker BJ Ojulari (torn ACL) out for the season, and many are expecting big things of Robinson when he gets back on the field.
Jones was suspended for the first five weeks for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. He went from a full participant in practice Wednesday to limited on Thursday with a hamstring injury.
“Good to get him out there, looked good,” Gannon said. “Kind of the same thing (as Robinson). We’re going to be smart with him. He’s not going to go this week, but he’s trending in the right direction.”
Jones is still not technically on the active roster until a roster exemption is uplifted. The 29-year-old will likely be the team’s top reserve receiver behind Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch.
In a seemingly corresponding move, the Cardinals re-signed wide receiver Chris Moore to the practice squad after he was released following Jones’ return this week. Moore has played in all five games for Arizona (2-3) with Jones out.
We have made the following roster moves:
– Re-sign WR Chris Moore to the practice squad
– Released WR Dan Chisena pic.twitter.com/R8qPki8yJ9— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 11, 2024
Arizona will release its official injury report later today before Sunday’s matchup with out, doubtful and questionable designations. Cardinals offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum (finger), offensive lineman Evan Brown (hamstring), linebacker Jesse Luketa (shoulder), defensive lineman Bilal Nichols (finger), kicker Matt Prater (left knee) and cornerback Garrett Williams (groin) were all limited in Thursday’s practice, so there will likely be some notable names on the report.
Darius Robinson among 4 crucial Cardinals players returning to practice
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
