Arizona Cardinals RB Ryan Williams out for season
Oct 8, 2012, 6:45 PM | Updated: 7:14 pm
Cardinals running back Ryan Williams cannot catch a break.
Williams, who missed his entire rookie season due to a ruptured patellar tendon, will miss the remainder of his sophomore campaign due to a shoulder injury suffered in the team’s 17-3 loss to the Rams last Thursday.
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt announced the news at a press conference Monday.
“It’s a tough thing for Ryan, we didn’t think after the game that was going to be the case,” Whisenhunt said. “But in getting the tests done on it and talking with the doctor [Sunday] it’s something that’s going to require surgery.”
Whisenhunt said it won’t cause any long-term issues for Williams.
“I feel horrible for Ryan but what I told Ryan when we sat down was that at least this time he won’t have to deal with it through an offseason,” Whisenhunt said. “He’ll be able to go through the offseason program, he’ll be able to go through practices.”
Williams had gained just 164 yards on 58 carries this season. The Cardinals are already without Beanie Wells, so this news will put even further strain on a group of running backs that is already thin.
Odds are the Cardinals will now turn to some sort of “back-by-committee” approach, with LaRod Stephens-Howling, William Powell and Alfonso Smith all getting touches.
However, that does not mean the Cardinals won’t look to maybe add someone else to the mix.
“We’ll look and see, we’ll explore options there,” Whisenhunt said when asked where the team goes from here, noting the guys who are already on the roster. “We always look for opportunities.”
The Cardinals currently rank 30th in the NFL in rushing, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry and 63.4 yards per game.
Arizona Sports’ Kyndra de St. Aubin contributed to this report
