Arizona Cardinals cornerback Robert Alford has suffered a broken tibia, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport states that Alford could come off of the injured reserve list at some point in the second half of 2019.

This injury news could not have possibly come at a worse time for the Cardinals, as they will also be without Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson for the first six games of the regular season due to a suspension.

The Cardinals signed Alford to a three-year deal back in February shortly after he was released by the Atlanta Falcons.

Alford is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he played 15 games for the Falcons, registering 50 tackles and 11 passes defended.

The 30-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Southeastern Louisiana, was originally selected by Atlanta in the second round (60th pick overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft.

He appeared in all 16 contests during his rookie year, finishing with 40 tackles, a couple of interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and eight passes defended.

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Alford then became a mainstay in the Falcons' secondary, becoming a full-time starter during his second season. His best year came in 2016, when he posted 59 tackles, a pair of interceptions, 19 passes defended and a defensive touchdown.

With both Alford and Peterson sidelined, Arizona will have to rely heavily on Tramaine Brock and rookie Byron Murphy.

The Cardinals won just three games this past season, resulting in the firing of head coach Steve Wilks after one year. The Cards went on to replace him with Kliff Kingsbury.