The Arizona Cardinals have had the same offensive line for almost every single snap this season. That changed in Week 2. For two possessions, Elijah Wilkinson was replaced at left guard by Trystan Colon, a player they picked up on a waiver claim before the season.
Was there an injury? Was Wilkinson getting benched?
Buy Cardinals TicketsWilkinson would return and finish the game, missing only two seven-play drives.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon explained why Colon got into the game.
“Just wanted to get Colon in the game a little bit,” he told reporters Monday. “I thought Elijah played really well and, when Colon came in there, he did a good job.”
It was testing things out.
“We’re always looking to tinker with different groups and people and trying to help our guys out and also playing guys that are going to need to be up and playing, so that’s a part of it, too,” he said.
The Cardinals had not even touched the first-team offensive line since the offseason program in OTAs. Of course, Colon was not on the team then.
It would appear the coaches are either rewarding Colon’s work in practice or would like to push Wilkinson, who has been, based on what fans can see on the field, the weakest link on the line.
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