The Arizona Cardinals sat their starters in the preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings, an 18-17 win. That presented a unique opportunity for second-year linebacker Jesse Luketa.
Luketa did it all on Saturday. He was the Cardinals’ captain for the coin toss. He played on defense. He played on special teams.
What was new was playing fullback on offense.
He lined up on several plays at fullback as a lead blocker. He even caught a pass but it was negated by a penalty.
That sort of usage suggests he will make the final roster.
In a postgame interview with team sideline reporter Dani Sureck, he said the opportunity came up this week and he was more than willing to do it. He played some offense in high school.
Will he do it in the regular season if he makes the team? Perhaps in some specialty situations. What is more likely is one of their tight ends would line up as a fullback.
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