The Arizona Cardinals had is having a forgettable season made even worse by a painful Week 15 match against the New England Patriots. Not only did the Cardinals got blown out by the Patriots in a 27-13 loss at home but they also saw key players suffer injuries, none more devastating than the one sustained by quarterback Kyler Murray.

The Cardinals' stop unit was also bit by the injury bug with star defensive end Zach Allen sustaining a hand injury in the third quarter that forced him out of the Patriots game. Allen went under the knife to repair the injury just a day after he suffered it, according to Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury on Wednesday, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.

Cardinals defensive lineman Zach Allen underwent hand surgery Wednesday, coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “He’ll be out this week,” Kingsbury added. Kingsbury expressed uncertainty about whether Allen will return this season.

The Cardinals' chances of somehow finding their way to the NFL playoffs are low, to say the least. They are just 4-9 after losing to the Patriots, and it's going to take something short of a miracle to still win the NFC West, with the San Francisco 49ers seemingly running away with the division title and with the Seattle Seahawks in front of Arizona.

Allen is a major piece of the Cardinals' defense, as evidenced by the fact that he is second on the team with 5.5 sacks — just a sack behind team leader JJ Watt.

It is possible that Allen has played his last game for the Cardinals, with his current contract due to expire at the end of the 2022 NFL season.