Cards’ Robinson ‘takes it one day at a time’ in return from injury

TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona Cardinals first-round pick Darius Robinson said Wednesday the past few months have been full of “a lot of ups and downs.”

For the first time this season, the Missouri defensive end wasn’t sure if he would make his NFL debut Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks after a calf injury kept him on the sidelines.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time,” Robinson said. “Just excited for the meet later to see the tape with my coaches and see where I can improve from today’s practice.”

Robinson’s return from the calf injury he suffered on August 22 has been three months in the making. He initially returned to training on October 9, the day his training window opened, but he did not finish that session. He did not return to the practice field again until Monday, but both he and trainer Jonathan Gannon have said Robinson did not suffer a setback.

Robinson was activated to the 53-man roster on October 29 despite not being healthy or at risk of being placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

However, Robinson still said Wednesday that he was “devastated” last month knowing he wouldn’t be able to return at the time, adding that “we knew what the injury was and (what ) timeline was.”

“All I knew was I had time to get better,” Robinson said. “It was a little long, but we knew what it was. So I’m just excited for this moment because I really appreciate it more than ever because it was taken away from me for so long. So super excited to be back out there. “

When asked if the plan was for him to return to practice on Oct. 9 to test his injury or if he believed he could use that day to kick start his NFL debut, Robinson had no answer.

“We were just trying to go to practice,” Robinson said. “We just tried to get better that day. I don’t really have a complete answer to that, but it just didn’t go well that (Wednesday) practice. But we’re here for this Wednesday practice, so I I’m glad we made it to this day and are just super excited for the future.”

Gannon said Arizona will take it “one day at a time” with Robinson’s workout reps, but said they are comfortable with the No. 27 pick in April’s draft back on the field.

“It’s been a long time,” Gannon said. “He’s had a tough road. He had a tough injury and he’s working his tail off to get back out there. He wants to get back out there. He had a good week last week to get back to playing. All those (medical ) people did a great job with him, so we’re taking it one day at a time.”

Arizona had two first-round picks after trading no. 3 to the Houston Texans during last year’s draft. The Cardinals received Houston’s 2024 first-round pick (No. 27) and also received the 12th and 33rd picks in the 2023 draft, as well as a 2024 third-round pick. Arizona also gave the Texans a fourth-round pick in 2023.

The Cardinals selected wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. as no. 4 with their first election in April.

Robinson hasn’t played a competitive game since the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29, 2023. But he said he’s not worried about being rusty because of the work he’s put in in rehab.

“People don’t understand when you’re injured, you train, you lift and run twice as much as everybody else,” Robinson said. “But at the end of the day, we had to go out and compete against someone else.

“So I’m not really that worried. I just have to keep stacking the reps and having good exercises.”

Robinson said he prepared every day while injured as he would have if he was playing by taking notes and going through walkthroughs. His goal is that when he takes the field, there will be no “hiccup”.

He said he is feeling “awesome” and has felt supported by his teammates, coaches, general manager Monti Ossenfort, owner Michael Bidwill and the Cardinals franchise.

“It means everything,” Robinson said. “These guys, they drafted me, so I mean, I owe them everything. When I signed my contract, they brought me here, so I’m going to do my best every single day, and I’m just so thankful. for them, because they are the same people from the draft room in Indy, so when we first met, I’m just happy to have their support through all of these things.”