The Arizona Cardinals secured a thrilling win over the division rival Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, but they lost their starting running back in the process. Kenyan Drake injured his ankle in the fourth quarter, and was carted off the field. According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, Drake suffered a slight tear of a ligament in his ankle, and he will miss "a few weeks" due to the injury.
The Cardinals are reportedly treating Drake's injury like a high-ankle sprain, which is something that dramatically limits the effectiveness of skill position players and typically keeps them out for several weeks at a time. Star Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey has been out since Week 2 with a high-ankle sprain of his own, for example.
Drake has been working as the Cardinals' No. 1 running back since arriving in a trade from the Miami Dolphins midway through last season. He was terrific down the stretch of 2019, rushing 123 times for 643 yards (5.2 per carry) and eight touchdowns while adding 28 catches for 171 yards.
Drake was in a walking boot with an unspecified injury for a few days during training camp, but both he and the Cardinals insisted that he was fine. He then started the season with no apparent issues. However, he was remarkably ineffective on the ground (3.7 yards per carry and two touchdowns in five games) up until a blow-up game against the Cowboys in Week 6 (20 carries for 164 yards and two scores), and he was similarly ineffective against the Seahawks on Sunday. He also saw his passing-game work dramatically cut, as backup Chase Edmonds became the primary third-down back.
Edmonds operated as the full-time lead back down the stretch of the fourth quarter and in overtime, after Drake left the field. When the Cardinals return from their Week 8 bye for their Week 9 contest against the Miami Dolphins, it seems highly likely that Edmonds will see the significant majority of the snaps, though rookie seventh-round pick Eno Benjamin could see some snaps as well.
