At 4-6 on the season following a loss to the Houston Texans last Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals are teetering on the brink of irrelevance in the NFC. They currently sit two games back of the final wildcard spot.
If Arizona was in a better position, the team might have looked to rush starting quarterback Carson Palmer (arm) and running back David Johnson (wrist) back from injury.
But with it already looking like a lost season, head coach Bruce Arians isn’t going to do that. He noted on Wednesday that it’s unlikely either Palmer or Johnson return at any point in the final six weeks of the season.
Arians: None of the guys on IR have made expected progress in rehab, so as of today, no one is expected to return this season.
— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) November 22, 2017
Palmer started the first seven games of the season prior to breaking his left arm during a shutout loss against the Los Angeles Rams back in Week 7. For his part, Johnson suffered a dislocated wrist in the season opener and has not seen the field since.
In their stead, Blaine Gabbert and Adrian Peterson represent Arizona’s backfield duo. It’s a less-than-ideal situation for a Cards team that entered the season with division championship aspirations.