Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, 11, heats up before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, November 15, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona (AP Photo / Ross D. Franklin )
Neither the Arizona Cardinals nor the Los Angeles Rams will be in full force with a guaranteed playoff spot for the winner of their Week 17 showdown.
The Cardinals head to the wide receiver room on Sunday after placing Christian Kirk on the COVID-19 reserve list on Saturday, and playing time could be even shorter.
Larry Fitzgerald, who is considered questionable with a groin injury, was not expected to play on Saturday night, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Schefter said the 37-year-old “could try to surprise Arizona,” but that the Cardinals “didn’t count on having him available.”
Fitzgerald has played in 13 of the team’s 15 games this season, missing two after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
He has 54 catches a year for 409 yards and one touchdown.
Notes of battering ram injuries
Across the field, the Rams have already declared quarterback Jared Goff with a thumb injury and wide receiver Cooper Kupp due to COVID-19.
However, they may have the whole room behind them. Rookie Cam Akers is expected to play despite being listed as questionable with a high ankle sprain, according to Schefter.
Akers is the team’s second fastest rider with 591 per season and has two quick touchdowns.
He has come strong until recent times, running for more than 70 yards in each of his last four games, including a 171-yard outbreak against the Patriots in Week 14.
Extra points
If making the playoffs isn’t a sufficient incentive for the Cardinals players in the final game of the season, maybe $ 500,000 can help advertise at least one player.
That’s what defender De’Vondre Campbell will win if the Cardinals win the game and win a spot in the playoffs, according to Schefter.
Campbell’s contract includes a $ 500,000 incentive if the Cardinals reach the playoffs and the defender plays on 65% of the teams.
So far, Campbell has been on the field for 80.97% of the instant teams, the fourth defensive player in Arizona this season, according to Pro Football Reference. Like the Cardinals, they win and it’s there.
