Cardinals Have Lengthy Injury Report for Steelers Game

Steelers Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown celebrates a first down against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 25-23. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The Arizona Cardinals have ruled a fourth player of Sunday’s Week 13 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and have six players listed as questionable, in addition to the three that head coach Jonathan Gannon announced will not play earlier on Friday.

Gannon had already announced that cornerbacks Antonio Hamilton (groin) and Starling Thomas V (ankle) and wide receiver Michael Wilson (neck) will not play.

The Cardinals also will not be getting a return from starting guard Elijah Wilkinson. He is on the injured reserve with a neck injury and returned to practice this week, but is not yet ready to return to action.

Rookie Ken’Trel Clark and and demoted former starter Marco Wilson will replace Hamilton and Thomas cornerback. Slot receivers Ronald More and Greg Dortsch will step into larger roles at wide receiver with Wilson out. At left guard, Trystan Colon will continue to replace Wilkinson, as he has been.

The six players that are questionable are defensive lineman Kevin Strong (knee), safeties Jalen Thompson (ribs) and Joey Blount (knee), tight end Trey McBride (groin) and wide receivers Marquise Brown (heel) and Zach Pascal (personal).

Strong, who starts at right defensive end, was limited in practice on Friday, but Gannon said that he “looks like he’ll be ready to go.” Sixth-round rookie Dante Stills from West Virginia is his primary backup.

Thompson missed practice on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday and Friday. Blount, his most likely replacement if Thompson is unable to suit up, was limited all week. Andre Chachere and Qwuantrezz Knight are the other safeties on the Arizona roster.

McBride has taken over as the starting tight end since the injury to Zach Ertz, as a situation that caused Ertz to be waived on Thursday. McBride did not practice on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday and Friday, but said he is “excited and ready to go this week.”

Brown played through a heel injury last week and appears to be on track to do so again, despite missing all three practice sessions. Pascal did not practice on Thursday or Friday for personal reasons and his status for Sunday is unknown.

The Steelers have a mostly healthy injury report for the Cardinals game. Only nose tackle Montravius Adams is questionable.

Mentioned In This Article: