Arizona Cardinals guard Daryn Colledge content to play through injury

Aug 21, 2013, 8:13 PM | Updated: 8:14 pm

Daryn Colledge has experienced quite a lot — Super Bowl championship, multiple division titles, even a 10-game losing streak — during his seven years in the National Football League.

Sitting on the sidelines, however, hasn’t been among those experiences.

Colledge has played in all 112 possible regular season games in his career, miraculously escaping the injury bug in a way few at his position have.

But that streak of good health came to a screeching halt earlier this month, when the Cardinals right guard missed two weeks of practice and the team’s first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers Aug. 9 for what was said to be nerve damage in his right leg.

An MRI taken on his leg, though, later revealed that the situation was a bit more serious.

Colledge suffered a hairline fracture.

“Like I’ve told everybody, it’s one of those things where it sucks,” Colledge said to Arizona Sports 620’s Bickley with Marotta Wednesday. “It’s a bad opportunity. It’s one of those one-in-a-million things I guess where you run at a guy’s leg at just the right angle, and my leg lost that fight. It sucks. I felt like I was headed in the right direction, now I feel like I’m behind these guys by two weeks and have to play catch up.”

While the words ‘catch up’ would seem out of place in the vernacular of an offensive lineman who has always found his way into the starting lineup, Colledge said that given the circumstances surrounding the Cardinals’ offense heading into 2013, he has no choice but to be a professional and play through the pain.

“The offense that we’re playing in right now is not the simplest offense in the world [to learn],” said Colledge, who played in the team’s 12-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys Saturday. “The group I’m playing with is extremely talented, and the things we want to do as an offensive line and as an offense, I just need to be out there right now getting that communication down.

“I might not be playing my best football at this moment, but I know where I will be in two weeks and how my body will feel. It’s more important I feel right now that I get out there, get the reps and communicate those things with Eric [Winston] and Lyle [Sendlein] on the right side of the ball.”

The pressure to suit up despite injury also has something to do with the no-nonsense mentality head coach Bruce Arians and his staff have tried to instill through the first four weeks of training camp.

“I think it is good,” Colledge said of the mentality. “It’s a situation where anybody who has played in this league long enough knows it’s a business. These guys aren’t here for a transition period. These guys aren’t here to build. They’re not thinking two years down the road, they want to win now. They expect to win and came from winning programs.

“We’ve got a lot of talent on this team and if we can point this team in the right direction, we have a chance to sneak up on this division and this league.”

Although Colledge hasn’t had to worry about his place on Arizona’s offensive line since signing with the team in July 2011, the veteran guard knows with a new coaching staff in place there are no guarantees.

As the 31-year-old pointed out, in a league defined by parity and transition, nothing matters outside of current performance.

“Turnaround happens in this league so fast,” said Colledge. “It happens for coaches, it happens for players and it happens for teams. You can be last in the division, you can be first in the division, you can a starter on this team and then you can be on the street tomorrow. Coaches are given less slack now than even players it seems like sometimes.

“It’s easier to replace a coach. So these coaches want to come in here and make there mark. They want to win football games. Everyone wants to be that tenured guy. Everyone wants to know that they’re the guy. Coaches and players and teams, we’re all trying to do the same thing. We’re all trying to put that product out for the fans.”

Receiver Larry Fitzgerald begins his route as Javier Arenas defends during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Running back Stepfan Taylor runs with the ball during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Receiver Kerry Taylor can't reach an over-thrown pass during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Patrick Peterson runs with the ball while Javier Arenas trails and a penalty flag is on the ground during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Quarterback Carson Palmer directs the offense during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Running back Andre Ellington finds the Carson Palmer pass during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Receiver Larry Fitzgerald makes a reception as Javier Arenas defends during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Quarterback Carson Palmer received the snap while running back Andre Ellington stands next to him during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Running back Ryan Williams (back) watches with receiver Larry Fitzgerald during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Running back Rashard Mendenhall catches a pass during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) The Cardinals prepare to snap the ball during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Offensive lineman Eric Winston prepares to block while linebacker Zack Nash applies pressure during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Quarterback Ryan Lindley rolls out during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Receiver Kerry Taylor makes a catch in fron of Patrick Peterson during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Quarterback Carson Palmer throws a pass during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Tight end D.C. Jefferson makes a catch during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Running back Alfonso Smith leaps to make a catch during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Receiver Charles Hawkins leaps to make a catch in front of Ronnie Yell during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Receiver Larry Fitzgerald during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Running back Andre Ellington runs with the ball during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Tight end Jim Dray makes a reception during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Offensive Coordinator Harold Goodwin shows his team the play during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Receiver Dan Buckner makes a catch during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports) Linemen Levi Brown (75) and Jonathan Cooper (61) prepare for the snap during Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug. 19, 2013 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. (Adam Green/Arizona Sports)

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