Cardinals rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson will miss multiple weeks with an injured calf, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports.
Coach Jonathan Gannon, while chastising media for reporting on an injury that happened during Thursday’s closed practice, confirmed Friday that Robinson injured his calf. He said the team was awaiting MRI results to determine the extent of the injury.
If Robinson begins the season on injured reserve, he would have to miss at least four games before returning.
It is more bad news for the team’s defense, which already has lost its best pass rusher, BJ Ojulari, to a season-ending torn ACL.
Robinson, the 27th overall pick, was expected to play a big role for the Cardinals.
Gannon recently said Robinson had a “1000 percent” chance to earn a starting job, and fellow defensive lineman L.J. Collier lauded Robinson as a possible defensive rookie of the year.
Robinson is listed as second-team on the Cardinals’ latest depth chart behind defensive tackles Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols and nose tackle Roy Lopez.
The Cardinals open against the Bills on Sept. 8.