Report: With all the tight end injuries, Cardinals reportedly add Joseph Fauria
Sep 9, 2015, 9:40 PM | Updated: Sep 10, 2015, 9:13 am
(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Earlier Wednesday night, it was reported that starting tight end Ifeanyi Momah tore his meniscus and will have surgery on Thursday.
The Arizona Cardinals are already dealing with multiple injuries to their tight ends group with Troy Niklas and Jermaine Gresham both on the injury report, which may have led to the Cardinals quickly adding another tight end.
Bleacher Report’s Dylan MacNamara reported that the Cardinals signed former Detroit Lions tight end Joseph Fauria Wednesday night.
Joseph Fauria to the AZ Cardinals, signed.
— Dylan MacNamara (@DylanMacNamara) September 10, 2015
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported similar early Thursday.
The #AZCardinals are signing former #Lions TE Joseph Fauria to replaced injured Ifeanyi Momah (knee), source said. Fauria visited yesterday
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 10, 2015
Fauria is going into his third season in the NFL after playing with the Lions for the first two. He has caught 24 balls for 281 yards with eight touchdowns in his brief career.
The six-foot-seven tight end proved to be a big target in the red zone for the Lions, especially during his rookie season when seven of his 18 catches were caught in the end zone.
Before visiting the Cardinals on Wednesday and reportedly agreeing to play in Arizona, he had met with other teams around the NFL, including the New York Giants.
Tight end Joseph Fauria visited the Giants
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 9, 2015
The undrafted rookie struggled in 2014 and only played in seven games as he dealt with ankle injuries, the same ailment that continued to bother Fauria through some of training camp before being cut by the Lions.
Fauria will take the spot of Momah on the 53-man roster as he will be put on the IR.
Headed to IR RT @MikeGarafolo: Cardinals TE Ifeyani Momah suffered a torn meniscus and will undergo surgery tomorrow, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 10, 2015