A year after their 2017 season was ruined by injuries to key offensive players, the Arizona Cardinals are already dealing with a season-ending injury to a starter on the offensive side of the ball. On Monday, Cardinals coach Steve Wilks told reporters that starting center A.Q. Shipley is out for the entire 2018 season with a torn ACL.
"Very unfortunate situation for him and the team," Wilks said, per the team's website. "Tremendous leader, hard worker. When you talk about the DNA I look for ... he really was a leader up front."
Shipley, who joined the team in 2015 after short stints with the Colts and Ravens, started all 32 games over the past two seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, he graded out as the 21st best center two season ago and the 28th best center last season. So, it's not a devastating loss for the Cardinals; it certainly doesn't compare to the losses of David Johnson and Carson Palmer last season.
It does, however, suddenly thrust pressure upon rookie Mason Cole, who the Cardinals took with their third-round pick. It's certainly not impossible for Cole to actually provide the Cardinals with an upgrade at the center position, but considering he's a rookie, there's really know way for any of us to know if he'll be better or worse than Shipley.
"(Cole) has a proven track record (in college) to come in and be successful," Wilks said. "I am excited for his opportunity, but I am disappointed in the loss of A.Q."
And now, there's a very real chance the Cardinals will be relying very heavily on all of their top three picks from this year's draft. First-round pick Josh Rosen is battling Sam Bradford for the starting quarterback job and even if he doesn't emerge with the gig out of training camp, he's expected to get reps at some point considering Bradford's extensive injury history. When he does step in under center, he'll likely be taking snaps from Cole. And then there's receiver Christian Kirk, who is expected to bolster a receiving corps that's composed of future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald and not much else.
It doesn't help matters that the Cardinals reside in the NFC West, which features a Super Bowl contender in the Rams, an up-and-coming team in the 49ers, and the consistent Seahawks. However, while the Cardinals might not be a playoff team in 2018, they can and should be excited about their future. Johnson is arguably the game's best all-around running back, Rosen has a chance to become their new franchise quarterback, Patrick Peterson is still a damn good cornerback, and Chandler Jones is coming off a 17-sack season.
And here's where it's worth noting that the Cardinals still won eight games a year ago despite operating without their star running back and quarterback for most of the season.