Cardinals injury update: OL Christian Jones to 'miss a little time' with knee injury
Second-year Arizona Cardinals tackle Christian Jones is going to miss some time. He suffered a knee injury in the team's 20-17 preseason-opening victory on Saturday after playing snaps.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon wouldn't go into specifics, but said that Jones would "miss a little time" with the knee.
How long will that be? If we go by the last two years of Gannon saying "a little time," he probably will miss multiple weeks, meaning he won't likely be able to play for the rest of the preseason. What does that mean for a potential spot on the roster? That depends.
Last year, he injured his ankle in the preseason finale and started the year on injured reserve. He was there for seven weeks before being activated and then was inactive for the next eight games. He played in two games and started the season finale.
With roster cutdowns coming in two weeks, what the Cardinals decide to do with him could impact how they assemble the 53-man roster.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
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New York Times
20 minutes ago
- New York Times
‘Unguardable' with ‘freaky lateral quickness': Hunter Renfrow returns to where he broke out
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dabo Swinney referred to him as 'craftsman' when it comes to running routes. Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen used the word 'unguardable.' But before Hunter Renfrow was a Houdini on the route tree, he was a by-the-books rookie receiver who seldom strayed too far from the play's design. That approach helped Renfrow thrive at Clemson, where he went from a walk-on to the most prolific receiver in College Football Playoff history. Advertisement But then-Raiders coach Jon Gruden wanted more from Renfrow, whose breakthrough came via a 65-yard touchdown catch at Houston midway through his rookie year. With the Panthers headed to Houston for a joint practice and preseason game this week, Renfrow hopes he's on the verge of another pivot point — a spot on the Panthers' 53-man roster after spending all of 2024 out of the NFL dealing with a health issue. As he prepared to play in Houston for just the second time, Renfrow reflected on how his career began to take off after the 2019 game against the Texans. 'I think I was overthinking everything. Whenever the coaches write a play a certain way, Gruden would always say, 'Make the play come to life.' I wasn't doing that. I was kind of just doing what was in the playbook,' Renfrow said in a phone interview last week. 'And if it said run 10 yards and run in, that's what I was doing. That's what I'd always been coached to do. But in the NFL everybody can do that, and people are a lot more athletic than I am. So kinda had to put my own little spin on it. That was right when I started to do it a little unorthodox but it was somewhat working for me.' Hunter Renfrow breaks a tackle and runs 65 yards for his first career TD! @Raiders @renfrowhunter #OAKvsHOU 📺: CBS📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports appWatch free on mobile: — NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2019 According to Thielen, Renfrow's skill set is hard to describe and almost defies physics. While receivers are taught at a young age to keep their feet underneath them so they don't slip when making cuts, that somehow doesn't apply to the 5-10, 185-pound Renfrow. 'When he's changing direction, his strides are far away from his body,' Thielen said. 'So you've got to have some serious body control and center of gravity stability to do that.' Advertisement But after being drafted in the fifth round after the Tigers' second national championship in three years, Renfrow was playing tentatively as a rookie. Through the Raiders' first six games, Renfrow caught 14 passes for 115 yards. Then came Week 8 at Houston, where Renfrow took a third-down pass from Derek Carr, eluded safety Jahleel Addae and sprinted in for his first career touchdown. According to Next Gen Stats, the play had an expected 6 yards after the catch. Renfrow picked up 57 yards after the reception; the 65-yard pickup remains the longest of his career. 'That was my first touchdown. It's the only time I've ever played there, my rookie year. I was kind of struggling, so it was good to get things off the ground,' he said. 'Finally got a pass on third down. It was like a little, 5-yard in-breaking route and slipped a tackle and ran like 60 yards,' Renfrow added. 'It gave me some confidence and I think it gave the coaches some confidence in me as well. It was kind of a turning point for me.' Renfrow finished with four catches (on four targets) for 88 yards against the Texans, who won 27-24 when Deshaun Watson — Renfrow's college teammate — threw a game-winning touchdown after getting kicked in the face by a pass rusher. But the big play sparked Renfrow, who pulled down 35 passes for 490 yards and four touchdowns over the final seven games, eclipsing the 100-yard mark in the last two. Renfrow rode the strong finish to another 600-yard receiving season in 2020 before putting together a monster '21 — 103 receptions for 1,039 yards and nine touchdowns, capped by a Pro Bowl berth. Renfrow started feeling poorly right around the Pro Bowl, with physical activity often bringing on nausea. It would take a while for doctors to diagnose him with ulcerative colitis. By then he'd lost 35 pounds and seen his production dip dramatically after he'd signed a two-year, $32 million extension in 2022. Advertisement Renfrow spent last year working at his uncle's equipment relocation and storage business in South Carolina and wondering if his playing days were done. But after getting his condition under control through diet and medication, Renfrow had his agent reach out to the Raiders and Panthers in March for tryouts. And on the Panthers' first day in pads last month, there was Renfrow shaking defensive backs with quick-twitch moves while Swinney looked on from the sideline. But going from 0 to 60 after a year away from the game left Renfrow with a pulled hamstring, and trainers shut him down for two weeks. Had it been the regular season, Renfrow said he wouldn't have missed any games. 'I think they're just trying to be cautious,' he said. 'With taking last year off, trying to just be smart with the load being put on my body. Get re-calloused back up.' When healthy, Renfrow brings a different element to a deep receiving group — even if it's not the easiest thing to explain. 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New York Times
20 minutes ago
- New York Times
The Ravens' biggest weapon might be Derrick Henry's empty stomach
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — On any given morning, Derrick Henry is almost certainly hungry. The Baltimore Ravens' indefatigable running back habitually rises, often before dawn, with a pronounced yearning: for eggs, pancakes, French toast, hash browns, sausage and other staples of the most important meal of the day. Advertisement Yet, Henry, whose strict training regimen includes intermittent fasting, battles his cravings, even as he hits the weight room while most people are sleeping and begins pushing his 31-year-old body to the brink of exhaustion. Eventually — at noon, or possibly even as late as happy hour — he'll break down and take down a spinach and avocado salad. It keeps him fit, but it hardly hits the spot. 'I just love breakfast food,' he said in an interview with The Athletic before a recent training camp practice. 'That's my weak spot, for sure. I love it all. I mean, I (crave) breakfast any time of the day. It doesn't matter.' And yet, almost invariably, Henry resists. Call it the cost of doing business for a runner known for compelling overwhelmed opponents to make business decisions. As much as Henry hates feeling famished, devouring defenses is the overarching goal. You've heard of angry runs? Henry's hangry runs are on another level. Last season, his first with the Ravens after eight with the Titans, Henry disproved the tenet that running backs inevitably fall off after 30. Scarily, the future Hall of Famer seems to be getting better. He ran for 1,921 yards — a total he'd surpassed only while breaking the 2,000-yard barrier in 2020 — and averaged a career-best 5.9 yards per carry. He tied for the NFL lead with 16 touchdown carries and added punch to an already potent Baltimore offense. No player has run for 2,000 yards in a season more than once; Henry has come the closest. 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That was the thing; I think we all wanted to see it.' On Super Sunday, Henry openly cheered for his would-be rival. 'Heck yeah, I was rooting for him,' he said. 'I love to see people accomplish their dreams, 'cause it motivates me to do the same thing. I love to see running backs happy. I'm not the guy who's like, 'Oh man, why is he doing this (and not me)?' I love to see it. It fuels me.' Understandably, Henry has championship ambitions for a Ravens franchise that has consistently contended during John Harbaugh's 17-year tenure but has not won a Super Bowl since the 2012 season. Last January, Baltimore suffered a heartbreaking divisional-round playoff defeat to the Buffalo Bills after typically reliable tight end Mark Andrews dropped a two-point conversion pass from Jackson that would have tied the game with 1 minute, 33 seconds remaining. Harbaugh plans to keep knocking on the door — and rely on elite performers like the 6-foot-3, 252-pound Henry to help break it down. Having Henry on his side fulfilled a vision Harbaugh had long harbored. 'I guess I always wanted him,' Harbaugh said. 'He was like the dream guy. When I saw him in the building after he signed his contract (in March 2024), I thought, 'Pinch myself — this is really happening.' Then, all of a sudden, (outside reaction) was like, 'Derrick Henry's done,' or 'He can't fit that offense; he doesn't fit the Ravens.' All that craziness. It cracked me up.' Advertisement Harbaugh could access some poignant memories as evidence that Henry wasn't washed up. In October 2023, the Ravens faced the Titans in London and gave up a 63-yard run to Henry off a direct snap. On Tennessee's next drive, Henry ran 15 yards for a touchdown. With the trade deadline looming and rumors swirling, the veteran runner wondered whether he'd soon be wearing purple. 'I thought there might be a chance,' Henry said. There was: The Ravens were prepared to give up a conditional fourth-round pick, but the Titans, after initially expressing interest, elected to hold onto Henry. However, the following March, they let him enter free agency. Tennessee had fired coach Mike Vrabel after a 6-11 season and had Tyjae Spears, a 2023 third-round pick, on the roster as Henry's presumptive successor. Instead of attempting to re-sign Henry, the Titans signed former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard to a three-year, $24-million free-agent deal. Henry wasn't bitter about the decision. 'Maybe they were looking for a momentum shift or trying to go into a rebuild,' he said. 'So you're starting to weed out the old weeds and bringing in some new ones. Wish we could stay young and everything would stay the same, but nothing does. I still love everybody over there. (But) after 30, they send you to the wolves.' When free agency began, Henry, for all his massive career accomplishments, was relegated to the back of the pack. Barkley, Pollard and Josh Jacobs all landed multiyear deals before he did, and the Ravens were the only team that emerged as a serious suitor, signing Henry for $16 million over two years. He outperformed that pact so outlandishly that Baltimore replaced it this past May with a two-year, $30-million extension (including $25 million guaranteed). Henry is precisely where he wants to be, having instantly assimilated into the Ravens' culture and forged a potent partnership with his dual-threat quarterback. He said the pairing was 'maybe even better' than he expected. Advertisement 'It was electric,' Henry said. 'He's the best player in the league, and it shows every single game day. He works hard, he's the leader of this team, and it was fun. It's just a great culture around here, and you see why they have the slogan, 'Play like a Raven.' It's just a brotherhood — hard work and physical play that's relentless and disciplined.' The Ravens thrived with Henry and Jackson as twin running threats, each of whom could capitalize when teams overplayed the other. In a Week 4 victory over the Bills, Henry took a handoff and rambled 87 yards for a touchdown, making a mockery of talk that he'd lost a step. During a first-round playoff victory over the rival Steelers, Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Todd Monken borrowed the same splash play Henry had burned Baltimore on in London — motioning Jackson to the outside, bringing him back across the formation and having Henry, after a direct snap, fake a jet sweep to the quarterback before taking off for a tone-setting, 34-yard run. KING THINGS Tune in on Prime! — Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 12, 2025 'People asked me, 'Why would you take him? He doesn't fit with Lamar; it's not going to be a fit in the gun and the pistol and all that?' ' Harbaugh recalled. 'And I'm just like, 'He can do anything. He's really, really good. Let's not overthink this.' 'Derrick runs every gap, and then there's the fact that you have to commit so many resources to stopping him coming downhill. And then Lamar can give it to him, or he can keep it, and then the ball can go to any gap, all the way out to the sideline from there. Which means you have to defend pretty much the whole width of the field, pretty much every time that we do any kind of a run play. And it's Derrick Henry, and if we get any kind of push inside, obviously it makes it that much better.' Henry knows his football history, citing numerous backs (Walter Payton, Tiki Barber, Curtis Martin and others) who were able to stay productive after 30. His training regimen, which he cranked up to a more intense level after an injury-plagued 2021 season, is designed to help him keep smashing the stigma, at least for a little while. Hill work with chains? That's King Henry conditioning 😏👑 Wired is available now : — Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 31, 2025 'I mean, it's football,' Henry said. 'I don't really worry about the age. As long as I put the work in, it'll speak for myself. I trust myself. I know myself. I know my body and I know how I prepare. So that's all I try to worry about.' As a result, his tummy often rumbles. On off days, 'when I'm doing recovery, working out, all that kind of stuff,' he might wait till 5 p.m. to eat. His in-season diet is highly specialized. Advertisement 'During the season, he likes to go anti-inflammatory, and for him, he feels like he does better without gluten,' explained Sarah Snyder, Baltimore's director of sports nutrition. 'So we do a lot of rice, a lot of chicken. He loves broccoli and spinach salads. And if we do pancakes, we do them gluten-free.' Said Henry: 'It's hard during camp because we wake up at 5:30 a.m. But I try to do my best. I'm not as disciplined as I should be.' Perhaps not, but judging from his play, he's hungrier than opposing defenders would like him to be. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
20 minutes ago
- New York Times
Matthew Liberatore's velocity woes continue as Cardinals mull rotation options
ST. LOUIS — Matthew Liberatore's first fastball of the fifth inning came out flat from his hand. He didn't have to turn around and check the radar gun; he knew from feel alone he had lost velocity. He did so anyway and saw his cutter clock in at just under 90 mph. Frustration ensued. A quick hook followed. Advertisement Liberatore had posted three perfect frames to kick off Tuesday's game against the Colorado Rockies. He then served up a two-run homer to Hunter Goodman in the fourth before coming out flat in the fifth. After a 10-pitch at-bat to Brenton Doyle resulted in a walk, Kyle Karros singled, ending Liberatore's night. The Cardinals were shut out by the Rockies 3-0, for the second time this season. 'I felt like the way I was rolling through the first three innings tonight, felt like I could have thrown the whole game,' Liberatore said. 'I feel bad that I keep putting it on the bullpen and they have to come in and pick me up. They've done a fantastic job of that, but that's not who I want to be.' FINAL: Rockies 3, Cardinals 0. As many of you have pointed out, Colorado has shut out St. Louis twice this season. Colorado also has two total shut out wins this season. You do the math. Michael McGreevy for the rubber match tomorrow, catch ya there. — Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) August 13, 2025 Sustaining velocity has been an issue for Liberatore coming out of the All-Star break. The Cardinals skipped over his first start of the second half, citing the need for extra rest as Liberatore navigates his first full year as a major-league starter. He has not been able to record more than five innings since. Sustaining performance has been the focus over the past month, to the point that manager Oli Marmol declared Tuesday's start as an 'evaluation' point for the young southpaw and hinted a change in Liberatore's usage could be on the horizon. 'We're going to continue to closely monitor it,' Marmol said of Liberatore's velocity and command Tuesday afternoon. 'If it doesn't make sense to continue to have him go because there's a regression in his overall stuff, velocity, being able to hold it, then we'll make a decision on it. Advertisement 'He's recovering well in between starts. He's healthy and feeling strong. But it's a matter of being able to maintain it during his start. If anything points to that not being the case, then we'll make a decision.' That decision won't come for at least another week, Marmol said. Liberatore will make his next start, but the evaluations will continue. The reasons are twofold. Though the line score did not reflect improvement, Liberatore held his velocity longer than in his previous start. He topped out at 95 mph in the first inning and sat at 93-94 for the next two frames. His velocity started to slowly drip midway through the fourth inning, before dropping to 90-91 in the fifth. In his last outing, Liberatore started to decline around pitch No. 40. Tuesday, he made it to about pitch No. 65 before the drop became glaring. 'It all feels the same until (the ball) leaves my fingers,' Liberatore said. 'The best way I can describe it is it loses its crispness that it had at the beginning of the game. Physically, I don't feel like I'm doing anything different. I'm not thinking anything different. I don't think my mechanics are changing that drastically. It just doesn't feel the same when it leaves my fingertips.' That there was progress Tuesday provides the team some optimism, but it doesn't alleviate Liberatore's vexation. 'It's something that I feel there's no precursor to it,' Liberatore said. 'I feel great, and then I go out for the fifth inning and turn around and (the velo) is not the same as it was the rest of the game. So, that part is definitely frustrating, but like I said before, I'm committed as ever to working as hard as I can to figure this out.' 'My process is as dialed in as it's ever been before,' he added. 'And I think that provides us a good foundation for us to tinker with things because we have a good feel on everything I'm doing and what it's costing me, whether it's helping or taking away from my ability to hold velo. I think the frustrating part is knowing that if you look at those first three innings where I was perfect and everything was working, the velo was there, and then I hit that wall. The frustrating part is that gap between those two and knowing what I'm capable of when I'm at my best.' Advertisement Another reason the Cardinals will continue committing to Liberatore is how scarce their other options are. St. Louis has discussed a piggyback role, and it remains in play even with Liberatore on turn. 'You can piggyback,' Marmol said. 'You have (Kyle) Leahy — that gives you an option. There are different ways of approaching it where (Liberatore) stays in a routine, but you monitor it pretty closely. 'But that's just one option, and not one we've committed to in any way. It's just an option based on Leahy being stretched out more than most in that 'pen. We don't have to make that decision until we further evaluate Liberatore's start.' That decision is looming, even if it lingers until September when active rosters expand. The Cardinals have discussed converting Leahy into a starting pitcher since spring training, citing his six-pitch arsenal and ability to get right- and left-handed hitters out. Leahy is not overly reliant on splits, with righties hitting .197 with a .515 OPS against him and lefties doing just a tick better with a .227 average and a .662 OPS. Still, those are numbers the Cardinals will gladly take. The issue of stretching out Leahy as a piggyback option has little to do with his overall effectiveness in that role. When pitchers and catchers report next spring, Leahy will probably do so as a starter. The issue lies with taking the budding right-hander out of a bullpen that has already been stripped of three of its top relievers. With the departures of Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz at the deadline, Marmol and pitching coach Dusty Blake have upped the usage of several middle relievers, including Leahy. He has been the team's most effective multi-inning reliever from the right side, and placing him into a piggyback role severely limits other games in which he can be used. The emergence of Matt Svanson could help with that. Svanson has impressed since being recalled in early July. Since July 4, Svanson owns a 2.30 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 15 2/3 innings, allowing just one walk and one home run. He was just as dominant Tuesday, notching three scoreless frames of one-hit ball with four strikeouts. Like Leahy, Svanson is capable of posting multiple innings. He's even more neutral with handedness: righties are hitting .164/.205/.288 against him, and lefties are nearly identical at .163/.283/.209. Other lesser-known options are at least worthy of consideration. The Cardinals signed right-hander Aaron Wilkerson to a minor-league deal in mid-July as a depth piece. He has a 3.77 ERA across two teams (Triple-A Louisville and Memphis) with 117 innings pitched over 22 games. Righty Curtis Taylor has been quietly steady for Memphis after starting the season as a reliever. He has made 18 starts (25 total appearances) for the Redbirds with a 3.64 ERA and 94 strikeouts over 106 1/3 innings. Neither Taylor nor Wilkerson will overpower opponents, but they are at least capable of providing innings. Advertisement There lies the most pressing concern within the Cardinals organization. The lack of viable starting pitching options, specifically regarding Triple-A depth, has been a season-long concern. To the organization's credit, it's done a sound job of maintaining its pitchers' health, especially given the rapidly rising number of arm injuries. The Cardinals also did the right thing by giving Liberatore a full run in the rotation, though they knew a drop-off in the second half was possible. However, St. Louis has once again found itself in a predicament due to its lack of availability, and it will again be on the major-league staff to configure how best to navigate that. Right now, the Cardinals have determined that to be sticking with Liberatore, but expect that to change if his velocity woes don't. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
