INDIANAPOLIS —The Arizona Cardinals could be without their most dynamic offensive weapon when they travel to Indianapolis on Sunday to take on the Colts in Indy's 2017 home opener.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said today that running back David Johnson, who suffered a left wrist injury in Sunday's season opener against the Detroit Lions, is likely to miss several weeks, according to AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban.
Johnson will get a second opinion on the injury, but Arians feared it could carry the same timeline as the dislocated wrist suffered by fellow Cardinals running back T.J. Logan during the preseason: 8 to 12 weeks.
"He wants to find a way to play," Arians said. "But you've got to be smart. That can be a career-ending injury."
Arians said Johnson suffered the injury in the third quarter of Sunday's game, when he caught a 24-yard pass from quarterback Carson Palmer with 6:04 remaining. About two minutes later, on Johnson's next touch, he carried the ball for five yards before losing a fumble, which, his head coach said, could be attributed to the wrist injury.
Johnson didn't return to the game after that point. He finished with 11 carries for 23 yards, as well as six catches for 68 yards in Arizona's 35-23 loss to Detroit.
The immediate focus now for the Cardinals — and for the Colts, for that matter — is who will replace Johnson, a First Team All-Pro selection last season who collected 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns rushing, on top of 80 receptions for 879 yards and another four scores through the air.
Among the immediate options, according to Arians, are Andre Ellington and Kerwynn Williams, although he won't rule out the possibility of re-signing veteran Chris Johnson — the former Tennessee Titans great running back — who spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons in Arizona before being released during final cuts on Sept. 2.
