The Arizona Cardinals have already made one important move with their PUP list, activating cornerback Garrett Williams so he can get back on the field and start practicing. Williams, who tore his Achilles in December, hopes to be ready for Week 1.
That decision still leaves two players on PUP: tight end Tip Reiman and linebacker Josh Sweat.
Reiman’s situation is the one worth watching now, and the latest word is that he will not be ready for Week 1. Head coach Mike LaFleur had said in the spring that he expected everyone who was injured other than Williams to be ready for training camp, but that hasn’t happened with Reiman.
On Thursday, LaFleur was asked how close Reiman is to returning and didn’t offer a firm timeline.
"It's hard to tell," LaFleur said on Thursday. "It's just day to day. He's putting in a ton of work, as well, so that's just day to day."
Reiman broke his ankle last season in a nasty injury, and his frame - he is 6-5 and 271 pounds - adds another layer to the challenge.
Now the Cardinals are facing a decision ahead of the Aug. 30 roster cutdown date. If they move Reiman to the regular-season PUP reserve, he would be out of practice for at least two weeks and unavailable to be activated until at least Week 5. The tradeoff is that the team would preserve a roster spot for another player at the start of the season.
LaFleur said the process will come down to honesty and trust.
"Those are the tough decisions, and you lean on the player to speak truth as well," he said. "And we trust these guys. He's made of all the right stuff, so Tip's going to keep it real with us."
If the Cardinals choose to activate Reiman and keep him on the roster, they would have to carry a fourth tight end, at least to open the season.
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Budda Baker was the lone Pro Bowler, a reminder that the defense still had a foundational presence even in a difficult season. For Cardinals fans, the complicated truth is that 2023 was not just another losing year to file away, because it also revealed a team with a few core players worth believing in. The challenge now is whether those flashes can turn into something more stable, rather than getting lost in the record that came with them. [Read more 🡒]