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The Cardinals had absolutely nothing to play for on Sunday, which made David Johnson's knee injury especially painful.

Johnson, who experienced a historic second year with 2,118 yards from scrimmage, exited the Cardinals' season finale and was carted to the locker room after his leg bent awkwardly while getting tackled in the first quarter. He didn't return to the game.

But on Monday, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians delivered good news: An MRI showed that Johnson sprained his MCL and he will not require surgery. The Cardinals' website reported that Johnson's recovery should take 6-8 weeks. So, while he won't be able to play in the Pro Bowl, he should be OK in time for offseason activities.

That's a huge development for the Cardinals, because the injury definitely looked worse than a sprained MCL.

It turns out the only thing that the injury impacted is Johnson's historic season. Due to the fact that he pretty much missed all of Sunday's game -- he went for 44 yards in less than a quarter -- he did not reach at least 100 yards in every game of the year, which would've been a first in NFL history.

He did lead the league in yards from scrimmage and receiving/rushing touchdowns with 20. If not for the Cardinals' disappointing 7-8-1 record, he could've won MVP.

Thankfully, that injury won't sink his chances to win the award next season.