The Arizona Cardinals designated rookie defensive tackle Darius Robinson to return off injured reserve on Wednesday, opening his 21-day practice window.
The Cardinals can activate Robinson anytime in the next 21 days or at the end of the period.
Arizona additionally added offensive lineman Austen Pleasants to the practice squad after it promoted fellow offensive lineman Charlie Heck to the active roster earlier in the week.
Whether Robinson is activated to play in a Sunday visit to the Green Bay Packers remains to be seen.
“He hasn’t played football in a while, so there’s an element of conditioning and just playing football I want to see for the next couple days,” Gannon told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Monday. “We’ll evaluate it day-by-day.
“He’s excited to get back out there with his teammates and get back on the grass, and so are we. We’ll be smart by him first and then do what’s best for the team.”
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It’s been a busy week of roster moves. Right guard Will Hernandez went on the injured reserve after reportedly suffering a season-ending knee injury. Heck took his place on the 53-man roster to provide offensive tackle depth behind Kelvin Beachum and Paris Johnson Jr.
Arizona also can get receiver Zay Jones back on the field with a roster exemption after he served a five-game suspension (personal conduct). Gannon added Monday that kicker Matt Prater might have a chance to return from a knee injury after he missed this past week’s game.
Darius Robinson’s clock to return from IR is officially ticking for Cardinals
Robinson’s return is the biggest. He was placed on the IR with a calf issue suffered ahead of initial 53-man roster cuts.
Before heading to the IR, the No. 27 overall pick out of Missouri was among Arizona’s top training camp standouts thanks to his versatility, motor and sheer size.
Had it not been for the injury, Robinson likely would have been a Week 1 starter or at the very least an impactful rotation piece behind the trio of Bilal Nichols, Roy Lopez and Justin Jones.
With Jones out for the season with a triceps injury, the runway is that much clearer for Robinson to insert himself into the starting lineup upon his return.
At this point, any influx of talent will be a positive for a defense that has been gashed on the ground. The Cardinals have allowed 147.8 rushing yards per game, the fifth-highest mark in the league.
Tyler Drake and Kevin Zimmerman contributed to this story.