Arizona RB Andre Ellington Injures Foot, Could Miss 4-6 Weeks
Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians made waves in the media this summer by proclaiming that second year running back Andre Ellington would get 25-30 touches per game in 2014. Ellington showed rare burst and versatility during his rookie campaign in 2-13, giving the Cardinals a dual threat back in the tough NFC West division.
However, Ellington brought a concerning injury history dating back to his days at Clemson, an unfortunate set of circumstances that many based on his slight 199-pound frame.
And it looks like those critics may have been on to something, as Ellington aggravated a left foot injury in practice Thursday (September 4, 2014). He went for an MRI, and according to FOX Sports Radio host Mike Jurecki, Ellington could be out for a significant amount of time:
Update; Andre Ellington aggravated his left foot in practice on Thursday, underwent an MRI, hearing he could be out extended period of time.
— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) September 5, 2014
The loss is a critical one for Arizona, who were set to depend on Ellington and his multi-faceted skills as an integral part of their offense.
Backups Stepfan Taylor and Jonathan Dwyer will now shoulder the workload for the Cardinals, but it’s safe to say that the duo will come nowhere close to replacing what Ellington brings to the table. In the stacked NFC West, Arizona will need all the help they can get, and they already lost star defensive end Darnell Dockett to a season-ending knee injury.
Hopefully Ellington’s injury is a relatively minor one that allows him back on the field in a short period of time, but foot ailments are never a diagnosis you want to hear for an NFL running back.
*UPDATE* NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport said Ellington is hopeful to play in Arizona’s opening home game against the an Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football. Apparently he’s been prescribed rest:
On #Cardinals RB Andre Ellington (foot), who had an MRI last night: First prescription is rest. He’s hopeful. Still a chance he plays on MNF — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 5, 2014
But Jurecki came back with a not-so-positive forecast, noting that Ellington could potentially be out for 4-6 weeks or even longer:
As for Andre Ellington time frame a lot will depend the how quickly he heals, could be 4-6 weeks or longer depending on further prognosis.
— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) September 5, 2014