Cardinals bring S Tyvon Branch off injured reserve
Nov 23, 2016, 11:36 AM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson (83) is hit by Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyvon Branch (27) and safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Arizona Cardinals have made their choice.
Safety Tyvon Branch was back on the practice field Wednesday, meaning the team chose to designate him as the player who would return off of injured reserve. The soonest he could return to game action would be the team’s Dec. 4 game against the Washington Redskins.
The decision means that while Branch will be back, running back Chris Johnson — who landed on IR at the same time as the defensive back — has seen his season come to an end. Both players originally suffered groin injuries in Arizona’s Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Branch joined the Cardinals as a free agent this past offseason on a two-year contract. In four games, he notched 23 total tackles along with two passes defensed. The 29-year-old was with the Kansas City Chiefs last season, and before that spent seven seasons with the Oakland Raiders.
Johnson, on the other hand, has seen his second consecutive season end with him on injured reserve. In four games this season, he ran for 95 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries. The 31-year-old was playing under a one-year contract.
