Arizona defensive back Tyrann Mathieu is expected to miss the first month of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL, according to Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians.
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“That’s strictly up to the doctors, trainers and them,” Arians said. “I’m not going to hurry them. We have plenty of time. If they aren’t ready for the first day of training camp — which I doubt anyway, because I’ve never thought that. I had Oct. 1, or after the [bye week] as the target date for me personally. If they do something better than that, God bless ‘em.”
Mathieu 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.
The Cardinals bye week is in Week 4 so if Mathieu comes back after the bye, he will have only missed the team’s first three weeks of the season.
The team also announced they hope to get defensive tackle Alameda Ta’amu, back around the same time as Mathieu who was one of the top rookies in the NFL last season. Ta’amu is also recovering from a torn ACL.