Injured Arizona Cardinals WR Michael Floyd feeling good, hopes to play in season opener
Aug 11, 2015, 7:59 PM
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd (Photo by Adam Green/Arizona Sports)
(Photo by Adam Green/Arizona Sports)
GLENDALE, Ariz. — His left hand in a cast, Arizona Cardinals receiver Michael Floyd walked out on to the practice field on Monday.
Head coach Bruce Arians and assistant head coach of the offense Tom Moore were among the first to greet him; a smile first and then handshake.
Floyd continued, making his way to his position group on the far side of the field.
Larry Fitzgerald spotted him first. The two embraced, Floyd’s good arm around Fitzgerald’s left shoulder.
Others followed, taking turns — between drills, of course — to welcome back their teammate.
Floyd had been away ever since undergoing surgery to repair three dislocated fingers, an injury he sustained in a 1-on-1 pass drill last week.
“My hand got caught under the ball, and as I was turning, my weight shifted to my hand and I didn’t roll over quick enough and I think it got caught in the grass,” Floyd explained after practice Tuesday, the first time he had been made available to the media.
“I don’t think it hurt as much. It was just shocking to see once I took my glove off and realized what was under there.”
And what was under the glove?
“Missing parts,” Floyd said, smiling. “Things not in the right place. Things going left and right.”
The injury, one Arians called “unique,” is expected to sideline Floyd for much, if not all, of the preseason.
An exact timetable, however, is unknown, though Floyd said he hoped for “no (regular season) games” missed, “but we’ll see how I feel.”
He added later, “They just said take it day-by-day. There’s a process to this, which I have been doing. We’re sticking to it. Just do whatever the doctor says, whatever the trainers are saying and try to get back as soon as possible.”
Floyd said his rehab includes squeezing a styrofoam ball, and then once given the OK, he’ll begin cardio work to help maintain his conditioning so he’ll be “full-go” after the hand heals.
There’s also the mental side, which Floyd said includes studying the playbook and being “really engaged in practice.”
The fourth-year receiver mentioned that means acting as a coach on the field, offering advice to some of the younger wideouts, like rookie J.J. Nelson.
“He’s doing a really good job,” Floyd said. “For me being an older guy, if you see something that you can critique on his game — or anyone’s game — you want to give them a heads up or give them some advice because it only helps our team get better.”
Speaking of getting better, Floyd, what was up with that teddy bear you were pictured with in the hospital following surgery?
“One of the nurses put that in there, so I found the most positive thing that you can do now is take a picture with a bear,” he said, drawing laughter.
“It’s just about staying positive about the whole incident; try to get back out there and do everything you can to get back out there and be 100 percent as soon as possible.”
