GLENDALE — Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Antoine Wesley underwent an MRI on his groin/hip area, head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Thursday.
The news of the MRI comes after the wideout was seen shaken up more than once over the course of Wednesday’s practice.
“We’re still evaluating it, had the MRI, and I think it’s going to take a week or so before we really know where it’s at,” Kingsbury said.
It’s a tough blow for a player who appears to be in line — or at the very least in the running — to command a good share of the reps up for grabs over the first six weeks of the season with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins suspended.
When Hopkins went down with his knee injury in the latter part of the season, Wesley saw his number called on a regular basis while filling in. In the seven games Hopkins was sidelined, Wesley recorded 18 catches (29 targets) for 201 yards and three touchdowns, with two coming in a Week 17 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
And after getting that first NFL season under his belt and gaining a heap of confidence, Wesley has continued to show off his abilities through OTAs, minicamp and training camp. He was taking first-team reps alongside A.J. Green and Rondale Moore with Hopkins and Marquise Brown (hamstring) missing practices.
Wesley isn’t the only notable Cardinal dealing with an injury as of Thursday.
Kingsbury said starting tight end Zach Ertz left practice with a calf issue, while cornerback Marco Wilson has a groin ailment.
Rookie tight end Trey McBride was also given a second straight day of rest after experiencing a sore back.
“We want to be smart with him to make sure that first preseason game he can get ample reps and get used to the speed of the game and be under the lights in an actual NFL game,” Kingsbury said.
The latest rash of injuries comes after Kingsbury announced that offensive lineman Justin Murray was going to miss 2-3 weeks with an ankle injury.
It’s par for the course this time of year.
“This is always that grind week, six straight days,” Kingsbury said. “You don’t have a game at the end of it so we just got to keep pushing and we’re trying to be smart with reps and make sure guys aren’t worn out.
“But this is a week where you got to get some conditioning in and make sure you’re ready when you start those preseason games next week.”