<
>

Cards put left tackle D.J. Humphries on IR, now down 5 O-line starters

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Cardinals are down all five members of their projected offensive line after putting left tackle D.J. Humphries on injured reserve with a knee injury Wednesday.

Humphries has been dealing with a right knee injury since it swelled in Arizona's loss at the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 11. He then missed the past three games before going on IR. Last week, Cardinals coach Steve Wilks said he was "very hopeful" that Humphries would've been able to play Sunday in Green Bay, but Humphries suffered a setback that made him inactive against the Packers.

On Monday, Wilks reiterated his belief that Humphries would be ready to play this weekend against the Detroit Lions, saying, again, that he was "very hopeful."

And then Wednesday's announcement ended Humphries' fourth season. The 2015 first-round pick, who had his fifth-year option picked up by the Cardinals, has yet to play all 16 games in any season. He was redshirted his rookie year and played 13 games in 2016, five in 2017 and nine this season.

With Humphries on IR, the Cardinals have now put four projected starters on IR and cut the fifth -- with four of the moves happening in the last three weeks.

Center A.Q. Shipley was the first to go on IR on Aug. 7 after suffering an ACL injury in training camp. Right guard Justin Pugh followed on Nov. 13 with an MCL injury. Arizona cut right tackle Andre Smith on Nov. 26 and put left guard Mike Iupati on IR on Tuesday followed by Humphries' announcement Wednesday.

Arizona has put two backup offensive linemen on IR, Jeremy Vujnovich and John Wetzel, both of whom started at various points this season.

In Sunday's win over Green Bay, the Cardinals started two rookies, left tackle Korey Cunningham and center Mason Cole; right tackle Will Holden, who they re-signed on Thursday; right guard Oday Aboushi, who they signed on Oct. 23; and Iupati. After Iupati went down with a knee injury early in the third quarter, Arizona played rookie Colby Gossett, who they signed on Oct. 30, at left guard.

The Cardinals have played eight different offensive line combinations thus far this season.