Arizona Cardinals stars DeAndre Hopkins and JJ Watt are both on the bench through injury, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury won’t see that change anytime soon.
“I’m not sure either of you will come back,” Kingsbury said on Saturday, via Ed Werder of ESPN. “I think it will be close.”
Hopkins, 29, was acquired from the Houston Texans in a 2020 deal and ended his first season with the Cardinals with 115 receptions and 1,407 yards. However, production on his second season in Arizona was disrupted as Hopkins struggled with hamstring problems before tearing his MCL in a Week 14 game. According to Ian Rapoport, he has undergone surgery and hopes to return by the end of January.
Watt, 32, is in his first season with the Cardinals after joining Arizona as a free agent during the off-season. In October, he suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery to repair, and Kingsbury leaves the door open for a return.
The Cardinals stumbled in the second half of their regular-season standings and entered Week 17 on a three-game losing streak. While Arizona took a spot in the knockout stages, the Los Angeles Rams took first place in the NFC West and will win over Raven if the Cardinals lose to the Cowboys on Sunday.
