The Arizona Cardinals will have to continue their playoff hunt without one of their best playmakers on defense. Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters on Thursday that linebacker Dennis Gardeck is dealing with a knee injury and will have to be placed on injured reserve.
Gardeck got hurt in last week’s 33-26 win over the Philadelphia Eagles while trying to tackle Philly quarterback Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter. He had two sacks before he was forced to exit the contest.
The 26-year-old player is probably done for the 2020 season, as the Cardinals would have to make a deep playoff run for him to get back on the field.
Gardeck enjoyed a career campaign this season, being second in sacks for the Cardinals with seven sacks. He also added 16 tackles, 10 QB hits, and one fumble recovery.
“He’s such a tough guy we were exploring every option to try and get him out there,” said Kingsbury. “But it doesn’t appear like it’s going to work out, so he’ll be put on IR for the remainder of the season.”
Gardeck signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 as an undrafted free agent. He was mostly used in special teams in his first two seasons as a pro, being the team captain.
