While it's certainly not as bad as last year's season-ending knee injury to quarterback Carson Palmer, the report that recent Arizona Cardinals free agent addition, guard Mike Iupati, suffered a knee injury and will undergo a procedure that will sideline him for the next six to eight weeks is devastating in its own right. ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news late Wednesday. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com added to Schefter's report early Thursday, stating that sources close to Iupati indicate that the three-time Pro Bowler is expected to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery which will sideline him for about six weeks.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians told reporters after practice on Wednesday that he was sending Iupati, who had missed the session, to a doctor to determine what was wrong with his prized free agent.
"I'm sending him to a doctor. I don't know," Arians said, via the team's website. "He's got a knee swelling a little bit."
Iupati's reported injury and procedure continue what has been an already tumultuous offseason for the Cards offensive line. Bobby Massie is facing a three-game suspension, and the center position seems to be in flux, as neither A.Q. Shipley or Ted Larsen was able to stake their claim to the spot. The team was forced to bring back veteran Lyle Sendlein as insurance.
If the Cards are to keep the aging Palmer healthy and make use of their plethora of offensive weaponry, they'll have to first figure out the right combination of healthy, capable blockers up front.
