TE Jermaine Gresham ‘ready’ to step up for Arizona Cardinals

TEMPE, Ariz. – Not only did the Arizona Cardinals lose the game in Pittsburgh, they also lost starting tight end Darren Fells to a shoulder injury.

“It’s some form of a strain,” head coach Bruce Arians said this week.  “It has nothing to do with any kind of bone structures.  It’s a strain; whatever those muscles are called.  He could be back at any point in time.  It’s just one of those funny things, you know.”

Initial reports had Fells missing two-to-three weeks.

He did not practice this week, and he has been officially ruled out for Monday night’s game against Baltimore.

Without Fells, the Cardinals are left with two healthy tight ends, Jermaine Gresham and Troy Niklas.

“We’ll use the two we got,” Arians said.  “We’re a two tight-end offense so the two tight ends will be out there a majority of the time.  Troy is more than ready and very similar to Darren.  Jermaine’s role will grow a little bit and they’ll both share the nickel role.”

Gresham figures to be the one to step into Fells’ spot, at least at the onset.

For one, he’s got more playing experience than Niklas; and two, he’s been used more here in the season’s first six weeks.

The Cardinals signed Gresham, who underwent offseason back surgery, to a one-year contract in late July.

“A gradual growth,” Arians said.  “He came in, had to work his way into football shape with the back, and he’s in great shape now.  He’s learning the offense.  He’s always had a little bit of a rapport with Carson (Palmer, from their season together in Cincinnati in 2010).  I’ve seen good growth as a tight end in our offense.”

Through six games, including five starts, Gresham has caught five passes for 51 yards.

A year ago with the Bengals, he finished with 62 receptions for 460 yards and five touchdowns.

Gresham, 27, has never caught fewer than 46 balls in any of his previous five seasons.

“I’m ready,” he said of the prospects of more snaps.  “That’s why they brought me here, that’s why they pay me, to be ready.  I’m ready.

“I think I’m close (to being in football shape).  With the surgery and everything, I’m back to 100 percent.  I can do anything and everything, so I feel pretty good.  That’s not a problem with me right now; just trying to focus on football.”

Niklas, meanwhile, is gradually regaining the form that made him the Cardinals’ second-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2014.

His rookie season was cut short by an ankle injury; and then this season was slowed by a hamstring issue he suffered prior to training camp.

“He’s got all the talent in the world,” Arians said of Niklas.  “He played one year of tight end in college, and he really hasn’t had much time because he’s missed so much practice time.  So the more he practices, the better he’s going to get.”

Niklas caught his first pass last week in Pittsburgh.

There is one more tight end option the Cardinals might consider and that’s elevating third-year pro Brandon Bostick off the practice squad and on to the active roster.

“We’ll see,” Arians said.  “We’ll see.”

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