Tyrann Mathieu: Cardinals safety says he's 6-8 weeks away from playing

The Arizona Cardinals placed second-year safety Tyrann Mathieu on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Wednesday in a move that was expected after Mathieu has his rookie season cut short with an ACL tear.

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Mathieu can be removed from the PUP list at any point during training camp but it doesn’t look like that will happen as the former LSU standout and Heisman finalist tells Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic reports that Mathieu thinks he is 6-8 weeks away from playing.

The Cardinal’s third round pick last year tore his ACL and LCL in his left knee in the Dec. 8 game against the St. Louis Rams with about nine minutes left in the third quarter on a free kick return after the Cardinals recorded a safety. Mathieu attempted to jog off the field but crumpled to the ground and the MRI the next day confirmed his and the team’s worst fears.

At the time of the injury, the team said it would be a nine month recovery would be necessary so this closely falls in line with that initial time table that Mathieu would return on Oct. 1 or after the team’s bye week.

The Cardinals bye week is in Week 4 so if Mathieu comes back after the bye, he will only miss the team’s first three weeks of the season.

If the Cardinals kep Mathieu on the PUP list when the regular season starts, he will have to miss the first six weeks of the season, but that move won’t be made until they can see the progress he is making in his rehab during training camp.

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Tyrann Mathieu: Cardinals safety says he’s 6-8 weeks away from playing

By Patrick Schmidt | Jul 25, 2014