ARIZONA CARDINALS
Cardinals place Golden on IR, sign Watford to add OL depth
Markus Golden was placed on the Cardinals’ injured reserve list Monday after suffering a torn ACL, effectively ending his season, and the team also shuffled bodies along the offensive line, signing Earl Watford to his second stint with Arizona and releasing Vinston Painter.
The Cardinals drafted Watford as a fourth-round pick in 2013, and the 27-year-old played 15 games for a battered line last season. Watford signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent this offseason but was released on Sept. 8.
For his career, the lineman has 33 games played and 12 starts. Last year, he appeared in seven games at right guard and three at right tackle.
Arizona’s offensive line, which has allowed six sacks in each of the last two games, is again lacking depth.
Last week, left tackle D.J. Humphries suffered a setback from a knee sprain suffered in a Week 1 loss, and his return is delayed.
Left guard Mike Iupati was placed on the injured reserve, and the Cardinals also await word on whether backup left guard Alex Boone can return to take the pressure off rookie Will Holden, who started in Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Golden’s season comes to an end after he recorded 11 tackles and a stuff through four games this season.
The injury to the starting outside linebacker opens up an opportunity for fourth-year-pro Kareem Martin.
