The Arizona Cardinals elevated kicker Rodrigo Blankenship to the active roster ahead of Thursday night’s game against New Orleans and placed two players on injured reserve, including wide receiver Marquise Brown.
Meanwhile, the Saints are reportedly going to start Andy Dalton over Jameis Winston, who will be the emergency quarterback against the Cardinals. Taysom Hill will back up Dalton, according to ESPN.
The Cardinals also put offensive lineman Just Pugh on IR with a torn ACL. He’s out for the season.
Brown (foot) will have to miss at least four games but it’s expected he’ll be out longer than that anyway, perhaps six weeks. Brown was injured on the final play of the game in last Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks. He suffered a small non-surgical fracture in his foot.
The elevation of Blankenship means Matt Prater will miss a third straight game with a hip injury. The Cardinals also elevated running back Corey Clement to the active roster. Starting RB James Conner (ribs) is a gametime decision.
The Cardinals also activated OL Cody Ford from IR and it’s possible he’ll be active against the Saints. Ford, 25, began the season on IR. He played in 38 games (29 starts) from 2019-21 with the Buffalo Bills, who traded him to the Cardinals on Aug. 22 for a 2023 fifth-round draft pick.
The Cardinals have also ruled out LB Dennis Gardeck (ankle), C Rodney Hudson (knee) and RB Darrel Williams (knee).
The Saints are also without a host of players for Thursday night. Guard Andrus Peat is considered week-to-week with a pectoral strain and has been ruled out against the Cardinals.
Also ruled out for the game are wide receivers Michael Thomas (foot) and Jarvis Landry (ankle) cornerback Marshon Lattimore (abdomen) and tight end Adam Trautman (ankle)
Cornerback Paulson Adebo, tackle Calvin Throckmorton and defensive end Payton Turner are all questionable.
Additionally, the Saints cut wide receiver Keith Kirkwood, activated defensive back Alontae Taylor (knee) from injured reserve and elevated receiver Kevin White and cornerback Chris Harris Jr. from the practice squad ahead of Thursday’s game.
–Field Level Media