Top pick of the Arizona Cardinals “hopefully” avoided a serious injury

ARIZONA – The Arizona Cardinals and their fans are awaiting news on first-round pick Darius Robinson, who reportedly had to be carried off the field during practice on Thursday.

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters Friday it was a calf injury, but some imaging tests would need to be done to confirm the severity.

“Reports have come out that happened in the closed portion of training, so I'm not really upset about it, guys. The guys that were there and didn't report on it, thanks for following our guidelines. He's going to have imaging done today. He's got a calf injury. [injury]. Have to get the reports today,” Gannon said.

Later in the day, ESPN Cardinals reporter Josh Weinfuss spoke with a source who offered a glimmer of hope regarding Robinson's injury.

“In other Cardinals news, a source tells me that Cardinals rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson is 'hopefully going to be OK,'” Weinfuss wrote on Twitter/X.

Robinson – selected No. 27 in this year's draft – had a strong training camp and impressed in the 10 preseason snaps he saw for the Cardinals.

Robinson had “1000%” potential to earn a spot in the Cardinals' starting lineup on the tight defensive line, according to Gannon. His versatility to play multiple positions in the trenches, as well as his strength and pass rushing ability, earned him a lot of praise from his teammates.

“The sky’s the limit for this boy,” LJ Collier told Robinson earlier this week.

“I like to let people play freely. I think if we leave him alone and let him be where he needs to be, I don't think he's going to have a drop in performance. I think he might have a few things here and there, but I think he's going to play great this year – he could arguably be the best defensive rookie of the year if he stays on the path that I think he's going to take.”

We should learn more about Robinson's condition soon, but there is hope that it is not as serious as once thought.