Andre Ellington has knee wrapped, hopes to play
Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington (38) fends off a tackle from Indianapolis Colts strong safety Antoine Bethea (41) and cornerback Cassius Vaughn (32) during the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Arizona Cardinals rookie running back Andre Ellington has asserted himself as one of the most talented all-purpose backs in the league, but he isn’t the Cardinals feature back due to concerns that the Cardinals have about his ability to hold up under significant carries. Bruce Arians also seems to love Rashard Mendenhall, who was his feature back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, though it is clear that Ellington is the much more talented player.
Ellington suffered his first injury of the year during yesterday’s practice, as he was listed as limited in practice with a knee injury. It almost certainly has to be a new ailment, and it’s likely more severe than we initially thought.
According to the Arizona Republic’s excellent Kent Somers, Andre Ellington has his knee wrapped and is “hopeful” of his Week 13 status against the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s a game that has major playoff implications for both sides, because the Eagles are locked in a huge battle for the NFC East title and the Cardinals need to hoard every win possible in order to secure a wild card spot. The Cardinals are a major darkhorse player in the NFC playoff race, and they made a huge statement by shredding the Indianapolis Colts last week 40-11.
Hopefully Ellington is able to play this week, and I predict that we’ll see him out there on Sunday but probably in a more limited role. The Cardinals have always tried to be as cautious as possible with the talented rookie out of Clemson, and they seem perfectly content with giving Mendenhall a steady dose of carries.
Ellington has averaged six yards per carry, but he’s only had three games with at least double-digit carries.