The Cardinals will likely have a prolonged wait for the regular-season debut of one of their first-round picks.
Defensive lineman Darius Robinson suffered a calf injury in Thursday's practice and his recovery timeline is considered to be multiple weeks following scans, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday, per sources.
Rapoport added that Robinson, the No. 27 overall pick in the 2024 draft, could possibly begin the season on injured reserve, which would make him ineligible to play until Arizona's Week 5 tilt against the San Francisco 49ers.
Should he avoid IR, it would signal that the Cards believe he can make his return earlier.
A Missouri standout with 13 sacks in his collegiate career -- including 8.5 his final campaign -- Robinson had been battling fellow teammates Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones for a starting job on the defensive line, and in mid-August head coach Jonathan Gannon said the rookie "1,000 percent" had a chance to earn one.
Such speculation now moves to the back burner as he recovers.
The setback is especially tough for an Arizona defense desperately requiring improvement after it finished the 2023 season allowing the second-most points and tallying the third-fewest sacks in the NFL.
Fans were treated to only a fleeting glimpse of Robinson in preseason action, as he logged just 10 snaps, with one tackle and a quarterback pressure.
Following some unfortunate luck, his next game action won't come until he's overcome his injury.
