Larry Fitzgerald, Jadeveon Clowney Injury Updates
Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was expected to take a backseat to Michael Floyd this season, as the former Notre Dame star busted out near the end of the 2013 season despite a nasty shoulder injury. However, Floyd has been a bit of a disappointment this year, while Fitzgerald has looked as good as ever, producing 46 receptions for 658 yards with 14.3 yards per reception to help the Cardinals stretch the field vertically. The Cardinals clearly missed their most reliable target last week, as Fitzgerald’s absence played right into the Legion of Boom’s hands, as the Seattle Seahawks smothered Floyd out of the game and took away Drew Stanton’s deep ball in the Cardinals 19-3 loss.
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Fitzgerald is not a lock to play this week, and his statement prior to his Week 12 absence that he wouldn’t miss any games with his Grade 2 MCL sprain seems even more overly optimistic now. According to ESPN NFL Nation’s Josh Weinfuss, Fitzgerald was among those not spotted wearing pads or a helmet during the portion of practice open to the media. Fitzgerald’s official practice status will be released later today, but it’s starting to look like he will have to practice tomorrow in order to face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Houston Texans rookie pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney is also at risk of missing another game this week. Per FOX 26 Houston’s Mark Berman, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien stated that Clowney is expected to be a game-time decision, though Clowney stated that he only has a “slim” chance of suiting up against the rival Tennessee Titans. We can only hope that Clowney can get back on the field as quickly as possible, but neither he nor the Texans are interested in bringing him back too soon.