The Arizona Cardinals will face the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night, and they'll be without one of their key players on offense. According to Adam Schefter, running back David Johnson is not expected to play versus the 49ers.
Despite being listed as questionable for tonight’s game vs the 49ers with an ankle injury, Cardinals’ RB David Johnson is not expected to play, per source.
With Johnson and Chase Edmonds out tonight, opportunity awaits new Cardinals’ RB Kenyan Drake.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2019
Over the past couple of weeks, Johnson has been nursing injuries to his back and ankle. The dual-threat back was forced to sit out in Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints due to the injuries.
Now, it appears as if Johnson will miss his second consecutive game despite being listed as questionable. This season, Johnson has rushed for 300 yards on 77 carries and two touchdowns. He's also added 30 receptions for 315 yards and three touchdowns.
With Johnson expected to miss Thursday's game, the Cardinals are getting even thinner at the running back position. Besides Johnson, Chase Edmonds (Johnson's backup) is also expected to miss time with a hamstring injury that he sustained in Week 8.
Edmonds has provided a spark in Arizona's offense in recent weeks with 400 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns this season. Due to Johnson missing time, the Cardinals may have to rely on Kenyan Drake earlier than they anticipated.
The Cardinals acquired Drake from the Miami Dolphins ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. While with the Dolphins, Drake had seen his role diminish in the past year and had fallen down the depth chart.
In Week 9, Drake will likely start for Arizona against an undefeated 49ers team that is strong against the run. Even with Johnson or Edmonds, the Cardinals were underdogs in this game. But without both of them on Thursday, it is going to be a long night for Kyler Murray and company.
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