ARIZONA CARDINALS

Cardinals DL Nkemdiche leaves game vs. Saints with foot injury, doesn’t return

Aug 17, 2018, 8:40 PM | Updated: Aug 20, 2018, 8:01 am

Arizona Cardinals' Robert Nkemdiche warms up during an NFL football training camp Saturday, July 29...

Arizona Cardinals' Robert Nkemdiche warms up during an NFL football training camp Saturday, July 29, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche left Friday’s preseason game against the New Orleans Saints with a right foot injury and did not return.

In the second series of the game, Nkemdiche was battling with an offensive lineman when he began to hobble.

Nkemdiche came off the field under his own power. Defensive lineman Olsen Pierre, listed as Nkemdiche’s backup on the team’s unofficial depth chart, replaced Nkemdiche on the next series.

“We just wanted to pull Robert,” head coach Steve Wilks told 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station after the game.

“We didn’t want to press it. It’s something that he had earlier in the week. (A) little nagging injury there with his right foot.”

With Wilks implementing a 4-3 defense, the third-year defensive tackle Nkemdiche was looking toward a potential breakout 2018 in his natural position.

The Cardinals selected Nkemdiche with the 29th overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft. He has 12 career tackles through two seasons.

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Cardinals DL Nkemdiche leaves game vs. Saints with foot injury, doesn’t return