It’s been just about nine months since former Arizona Cardinals left tackle D.J. Humphries suffered a torn ACL in Philadelphia against the Eagles.
The Dec. 31 game was a bad end of the year for Humphries, who had turned 30 three days earlier and was then released by the Cardinals on March 13 as the 2024 league year began.
Nine months is normally what is minimally needed to recover from an ACL injury, although it’s not known the exact date he had surgery. Quarterback Kyler Murray returned to practice last season on Oct. 18, a little more than nine months after undergoing knee surgery for a torn ACL and meniscus repair.
According to league sources, Humphries is potentially several weeks away from being medically cleared to resume his NFL career. Might there be a reunion with the Cardinals, considering what they are experiencing at right tackle?
When general manager Monti Ossenfort spoke to the media a week after Humphries was released, he was asked how tough that decision was.
Ossenfort emphasized, “It was brutal. We got to spend a year with D.J. and we’re both better for it and our team is better for it. It is really unfortunate with the timing of the injury, for us as a football team and obviously for D.J. on a personal level. The salary cap and the way things are set up and the way contracts work, it put us in a very tough situation.
“I can’t say enough about how I feel about D.J. as a football player and more so as a person. His energy, and the leadership he brought to this team; we are certainly going to miss him. I hope nothing but the best for him in his recovery and his rehab.”
As for a possible reunion in the future, Ossenfort left the door open, saying, “Who knows what is going to happen down the line? I would have zero hesitation in bringing D.J. back. The worst part about this league is injuries. It struck a guy that meant a lot to this organization.”
Humphries, the 24th overall choice in the first round by the Cardinals in 2015, was inactive for his entire rookie season and then started 13 games at right tackle in 2016 before moving to the left side the following year. He started all 98 games he played for the Cardinals.
One day after parting ways with Humphries, the Cardinals signed tackle Jonah Williams as an unrestricted free agent and made the decision to move Paris Johnson Jr. to left tackle and play Williams on the right side.
However, Williams suffered an injury to his right knee on the final play of the first quarter in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills and was placed on injured reserve. He is eligible to be designated for return and begin practicing after Week 5, but the severity of his injury is unknown publicly.
Kelvin Beachum replaced him in Week 1 and played every snap in the Week 2 win over the Rams, only to suffer a hamstring injury in practice last week.
He was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Lions and the Cardinals elevated Jackson Barton and Charlie Heck from the practice squad. They also have tackle Luke Tenuta on the practice squad.
Barton started at right tackle when Beachum was declared inactive, but he joined the injured list with a toe injury suffered against the Lions and was replaced by Heck.
Monday, the Cardinals brought in nine-year veteran tackle Camerion Erving for a tryout.
In the 186 offensive snaps this season, Beachum has played 105, Barton 48, Williams 22 and Heck 11. Left guard Evan Brown and right guard Will Hernandez have played all 186 snaps, while Johnson and center Hjalte Froholdt have played 180 because Trystan Colon (center) and Isaiah Adams (left guard) played the final six snaps in the blowout win over the Rams.
If Humphries were to continue playing this season, it would likely start with a stint on the practice squad whether that’s with the Cardinals or another team as he works himself into shape.
It’s surely something to keep an eye on over the next month.
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