The injury bug continues to strike this NFL offseason. Arizona Cardinals rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson has suffered a calf injury and is expected to miss multiple weeks after scans.
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NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport shared the news via Twitter/X.
#AZCardinals first-round DL Darius Robinson suffered a calf injury that is considered a multi-week injury after scans, sources say. Possible he could begin the season on Injured Reserve. If so, the earliest return would be Week 5. pic.twitter.com/FhyKihnhNR
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 24, 2024
Robinson injured his calf on Thursday at practice. The Cardinals will already be without outside linebacker BJ Ojulari for the season during a training camp practice with a knee injury.
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Robinson underwent imagine on Friday to determine the extent, and all things considered, it could have been worse for the first-round rookie. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon recently said that Robinson had a great chance to earn the starting job. On top of that, fellow defensive lineman L.J. Collier had great praise for the rookie, going as far as to say it was possible for him to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
“The sky’s the limit for the kid, man,” Collier told reporters Wednesday. “I feel like the kid’s going to ball this year. Arguably might be defensive rookie of the year if he stays on the track that I think he’s going to be on.
“The dude’s a freak man. The get-off, the way he plays the run, just his pass-rush, man. The kid’s just a baller.”
The Cardinals drafted Robinson with the No. 27 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Robinson hails from Michigan but attended the University of Missouri for four years.
In his senior season, Robinson was named to the First-team All-SEC team. His two best seasons came in his junior and senior years, where he recorded 78 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, and one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Overall, he recorded 120 total tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and 13.0 sacks in 38 games.
Although it is a tough blow for the Cardinals, they are deep on the defensive line. They still have free agent signees Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols, and Khyiris Tonga, along with holdovers Roy Lopez, Dante Stills, and Collier. The Cardinals will be fine in the meantime; however, it is unfortunate that Robinson won’t be around for multiple weeks.
Under the current NFL rules, teams can put two players on injured reserve on the day of the final roster cuts and then bring them back during the regular season. So the plan will likely be to put Robinson on the injured reserve and bring him back when he is ready, sometime during the regular season.
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