David Chao, MD
2 min read • August 05, 2022
Posted in
2021 record: 11-6, lost NFC Wild Card | 2022 FanDuel O/U win total: 8.5
The Cardinals started 2021 8-0 before injuries to Kyler Murray, J.J. Watt, Rodney Hudson, and DeAndre Hopkins turned the season on its head.
After a disappointing end to the season, the loss of all-time franchise sack leader Chandler Jones and a shocking Draft Day trade for Marquise Brown, the Cardinals come in moderately healthy with a 91.9 SIC score.
Murray suffered an ankle sprain that hampered him for the second half of the season even after returning, marking the second straight season that a mid-season injury lingered and had a part in the team’s breakdown.
A hope of another 8-0 start is likely out the window as All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins was suspended for the first six games. Hopkins’ season ended with an MCL injury in mid-December, and he won’t make it back on the field until October 20 against the Saints.
His new speedster teammate, Hollywood Brown, opened camp on the active/NFI list (he is placed on the NFI instead of the PUP because he came over in a trade) after suffering a hamstring injury and is expected back at practice next week.
Running back James Conner is clear of his 2021 injuries and will come in as the new No. 1 after Chase Edmonds signed with Miami.
On defense, J.J. Watt comes in after a full offseason of rehab for his shoulder injury, which was his sixth major injury and surgery since 2016.
The young linebacking corps and defensive backfield – headlined by Budda Baker, Isaiah Simmons, Zaven Collins, and Byron Murphy Jr. – got through 2021 unscathed and come into 2022 with a clean bill of health.
Murray signed a 5-year, $230.5 million extension last week after putting up half of an MVP season in 2021.
He suffered an ankle sprain in Week 8 that kept him out for three weeks and, after returning from the absence, threw for 1,511 yards with seven touchdowns, three interceptions, and an 89.3 rating in six games mostly without Hopkins.
Murray will be fully healthy for 2022, but the Docs are skeptical if Murray can make it through an entire season unscathed and without issue as he plays a style that invites injuries and hasn’t proven an ability to play well through those injuries.
The 33-year-old has a clean bill of health as the 2022 season approaches after yet another major surgery, this time on his left shoulder and biceps.
Watt has played in 55 of 97 possible games since 2016, playing two full seasons and posting 27.5 sacks and 45 TFL; for comparison, in his first five seasons, Watt made 74.5 sacks, 132 TFL, and won three DPoY awards.
Hopkins had his worst season in 2021, making 42 catches for 572 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 games and ending with a torn MCL in Week 14. Coming into the year, Hopkins had missed only two games in his first eight seasons and averaged 79.4 yards on 9.6 targets per game, a figure that dropped to 57.2 yards on 6.4 targets.
The 30-year-old tried to return for the playoffs but was well behind the three-month recovery timeline. He should be healed from that issue now, but the Pro Football Docs are concerned about his durability going forward due to his age, playing style, and the slow collection of injuries he will begin building in his 30s.
Written by David Chao, MD
