Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff Writer 7y

Cardinals searching for returner after losing T.J. Logan for 12 weeks

GLENDALE, Ariz.- It took rookie running back T.J. Logan all of three returns Thursday night to show the Arizona Cardinals he can be their primary returner.

Then he suffered a dislocated wrist and forced the Cardinals to go back to the drawing board.

Logan will need surgery to repair his injured wrist, coach Bruce Arians said Saturday, leaving him sidelined for about 12 weeks. Until Logan returns, the Cardinals need to find both a kick and punt returner. That could mean one player for both, or one for each.

Arians said running back Kerwynn Williams will “get the first shot” at winning both return jobs, followed by rookie receiver Chad Williams and then safety Rudy Ford. When receiver John Brown returns from a quad injury, he’ll also be in the mix, Arians said.

Another option could be receiver J.J. Nelson, but Arians said he’ll only be considered “unless we need him.”

The Cardinals used five returners for kickoffs and punts last season.

Receiver Britt Golden led the Cardinals with 11 kickoff returns last season for 266 yards, and running back Andre Ellington had 10 for 163. Brown returned 17 punts for 119 yards, and cornerback Patrick Peterson returned 13 for 81.

The Cardinals were ranked 30th in punt-return average last season with 6.1 yards per return and 16th in kickoff-return average with 21.8 yards per return. Logan averaged 10 yards on his punt returns Thursday night and 35.5 on his kick returns.

Arians was impressed with how Logan fielded his only punt return on the run “fearlessly.”

“It’s a blow to him,” Arians said. “He was just about to make a nice role for himself. He obviously looked electric on the kick returns and the punt returns. Somebody else just has to step up and do it.”

^ Back to Top ^