Arizona Cardinals place John Abraham on injured reserve
Sep 19, 2014, 4:24 PM | Updated: 10:20 pm
The constant questions about whether John Abraham will be able to play against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday have finally been answered.
The Arizona Cardinals have placed the veteran linebacker on injured reserve, ending his season after just one game. Abraham suffered a concussion in the Cardinals’ season-opening win over the San Diego Chargers Sept. 8.
“The concussion protocol really did its job in coming back and finding a couple problems,” Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said. “The doctors feel that he should shut it down for at least a year.
“We’re glad we caught it now and not later.”
Abraham’s contract with the team expires after this season, and losing the 36-year-old who made the Pro Bowl last season after earning 11.5 sacks is a tough blow for all involved.
“We’re going to miss his leadership,” Arians said. “He was like an extra coach. He had so much knowledge and he shared it will all the young guys every single day — not just outside backers — I mean, everybody. He was fun loving and I’ll miss him in the locker room.”
In a corresponding roster move, the Cardinals re-signed punter Drew Butler, who was released earlier in the week. Butler punted in the first two games as veteran Dave Zastudil has been sidelined with a groin injury.