Skip to main content
Animated graphic with red background and information about 49ers @ Cardinals
Advertising

Arizona Cardinals Home: The official source of the latest Cardinals headlines, news, videos, photos, tickets, rosters and game day information

WordFromTheBirds-category-logo-v4

Presented by

Kliff's Injury Mystery, And Camp Practice Aftermath

Green misses practice; tight ends make some plays

It's no minor deal, but Kliff Kingsbury isn't talking about injuries this training camp.

That doesn't mean he won't answer a question about an absent player. Or that a certain player – like J.J. Watt – won't himself talk about a specific injury. But the answer from the Cardinals coach in camp thus far about a player on the sideline is the same – a vague timetable, without noting what the malady actually is.

"As you may have noticed, since (senior VP of media relations) Mark (Dalton) has informed me we don't have to give an injury report, I'm going to enjoy that for the next few weeks until we have to do that," Kingsbury said.

So when Kingsbury was asked about wide receiver A.J. Green missing practice Wednesday, he said it was a "minor issue" and Green should be back "sooner than later." Maybe not this week, Kingsbury added. Again, we don't know what it is, but it's the reality of the reporting right now.

The Cardinals don't have to say anything official about injuries until the Wednesday before Week 1 of the regular season.

-- Not practicing Wednesday were DLs Jordan Phillips and J.J. Watt, WRs Christian Kirk, A.J. Richardson and Antoine Wesley, and OLs Brian Winters and Justin Murray.

-- It was a much different level of practice after Tuesday was the first full padded work. There were one-on-ones with linemen, but it eased as soon as they touched – clearly more about a footwork drill, especially for offensive linemen.

-- Speaking of offensive linemen – and notable after a season in which the Cards led the league in stalled drives and the team wants to eliminate the pre-snap penalties – anytime there is a pre-snap penalty by a lineman (basically false starts), the player is being pulled from that rep/snap and replaced. He goes back in the next play, but it is a tangible reminder not to mess up.

-- Tight end Maxx Williams made a very nice diving touchdown grab in red zone work. When he's healthy, he can do the job. Tight end Ross Travis also made a couple of plays in one-on-one work; it'll be interesting to see what the down-the-depth chart tight ends do in preseason games.

-- Speaking of tight ends, it was Darrell Daniels catching a quick out bullet from Kyler to beat Isaiah Simmons from the 2-yard line or so on the "last play of the game" during situational work. The first-team offense enjoyed that one. The second-team offense scored in that period too, with Colt McCoy hooking up with new wideout Greg Dortch. Overall, though, it felt like the defense won the day.

WR DeAndre Hopkins makes a touchdown catch during a training camp practice in 2021
Advertising