WR Hollywood Brown designated to return by Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday designated receiver Hollywood Brown to return from a foot injury suffered prior to Week 7.

And with that, the pairing of the team’s top offseason acquisition with No. 1 wideout DeAndre Hopkins could come as soon as the team’s Monday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City.

The Cardinals have 21 days to officially activate Brown to the 53-man roster, but he can begin practicing with his teammates Wednesday. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Brown has “a chance” to play against San Francisco.

Arizona also on Wednesday added offensive lineman Julién Davenport and tight end Chris Pierce to the practice squad.

Pierce spent the preseason with the Cardinals and returns after the team reportedly lost tight end Zach Ertz to a season-ending knee injury.

But the big roster flip involves Brown.

The former Baltimore Raven and 2019 first-round pick landed with Arizona following a trade on Day 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft and joined the team just before Hopkins’ six-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy came to light.

In the first six weeks of the season, Brown held down the fort in place of the All-Pro. Brown, a college teammate of quarterback Kyler Murray, rattled off 485 yards and three touchdowns on 43 catches.

He joins a receiving group that has relied heavily on Hopkins in the past three weeks and also features Rondale Moore, midseason trade acquisition Robbie Anderson and veteran A.J. Green.

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