Following their “Thursday Night Football” appearance, the Arizona Cardinals utilized an extra practice day on Monday, which brought mixed results on the injury front.
Cornerback Will Johnson returned to the field after a two-week absence due to a groin injury. “He’s taking it day by day, he’s doing a good job,” said Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon. “Hopefully, we’ll get him back out there.”
However, running back Trey Benson was not present at practice. Benson did not play on the team’s final drive in Week 4, and his status will be a key point to watch when the first official injury report is released on Wednesday. Gannon remained non-committal about Benson’s condition, stating, “Just taking it day by day.” Should Benson miss time, Michael Carter, who filled the lead back role for two games last season, could be in line for an increased workload.
The practice also marked the first opportunity for players on the injured reserve or physically unable to perform (PUP) list to begin practicing. The team opened the 21-day practice window for defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, who has been sidelined since last October with a neck injury. Nichols can now practice without being on the active roster and can be activated at any point within the next three weeks.
“He’s a good football player,” Gannon said of Nichols. “Can play a couple different hats for us. So it’s good to have him back out there today. He plays the way you want to play. He’s got energy and juice.”
The Cardinals did not open the practice window for several other eligible players, including defensive tackle Walter Nolen (calf), edge rusher B.J. Ojulari (knee), and offensive tackle Hayden Conner (knee). Nolen, the team’s first-round draft pick, was initially thought to have a chance to be ready for Week 1, but his recovery has taken longer than expected. When asked if he was concerned about Nolen’s progress, Gannon offered a simple, one-word response: “No.”
In a related roster move, the Cardinals signed running back Michael Carter to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. Carter, who has averaged 4.8 yards per carry in limited opportunities with the team, received a standing ovation from teammates upon the announcement.
“Mike’s an integral part of this team,” Gannon said. “When you’ve got guys that, when their number’s called, have performed, they star their role, they have a good attitude, they’re team-first guys. You can’t have enough of those guys around.”
To fill Carter’s spot on the practice squad, the team signed veteran running back D’Ernest Johnson, who has previously played for the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Gannon also addressed his decision-making from the Week 4 loss. With 5:50 left in the fourth quarter, after a touchdown cut the deficit to 20-12, he opted to kick an extra point rather than attempt a 2-point conversion. The choice went against modern analytics, which favor attempting the conversion to create a path to win in regulation with a subsequent touchdown.
Gannon explained that the decision was based on the flow of the game. “I liked putting another point on the board and putting it where it was at that point in the game,” he said. “But that’s a good point, there’s a lot of discussion around that… It’s real. Some games we might.”
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