Cardinals linebacker O’Brien Schofield to miss rest of season

It didn’t take long for the Arizona Cardinals to receive their first bit of bad news during the bye week.

As if the team’s current five-game losing streak wasn’t enough, outside linebacker O’Brien Schofield tweeted Monday night that he will miss the remainder of the 2012 season.

Schofield left Sunday’s 31-17 loss at Green Bay with an apparent left ankle injury, after defensive tackle Darnell Dockett was pushed back into the third-year linebacker.

The severity of the ankle injury was unknown when the Cardinals headed back to the Valley Sunday night, but the team was hopeful Schofield hadn’t suffered a high ankle sprain.

Schofield underwent an MRI on Monday, and while he isn’t a doctor, the prognosis based on the tweet doesn’t appear to be good.

I’m out for the season. I’m sorry Cardinal fans. But I will be back and stronger then ever. This yr was just a preview of why is to Come.

— O’Brien (@Ob_Scho) November 6, 2012

On the season, Schofield has four sacks and 34 total tackles — good for fourth-best on the team.

The injury is especially painful for the Cardinals, who are rather thin at the position. Quentin Groves — two sacks and 17 tackles — has played admirably as Schofield’s backup, but after that it’s slim pickings for Arizona.

Zach Nash, a rookie, was activated off the practice squad this week, and was third on the depth chart behind Schofield and Groves against the Packers.

Inside linebacker Stewart Bradley has seen very limited time this season, but was used on the outside during certain packages last year.