The Green Bay Packers' chances of defeating the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday may have just received a boost in one of the most unfortunate ways.
This afternoon, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians announced some big news about the knee injury suffered by Cardinals safety and slot defender Tyrann Mathieu, which took place on Sunday Night against the Philadelphia Eagles during an interception. After picking off Sam Bradford's pass with about 2:30 left in the game, Mathieu fell to the turf without contact and clutched his right knee.
After the game, Cardinals players were concerned but hopeful for Mathieu, as SB Nation's Revenge of the Birds reports. Unfortunately for Arizona, their worst fears are now confirmed:
Bruce Arians said Tyrann Mathieu has a torn ACL.
— Bob McManaman (@azbobbymac) December 21, 2015
Mathieu will be placed on Injured Reserve and shut down for the remainder of the 2015 season. Due to the long recovery time typically associated with ACL tears, the start of the 2016 season may be in question for him as well.
Mathieu has been playing at an All-Pro level this season, recording five interceptions and 89 total tackles through fourteen games. He has also been receiving substantial praise as a possible candidate for Defensive Player of the Year and was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week in week three. His ability to play multiple positions in the secondary will be difficult to replace, and will require several different players to have adjusted roles moving forward.
For the Packers, this means that Randall Cobb will likely draw an easier matchup with another cornerback out of the slot. Expect Green Bay to try to attack Mathieu's replacements regularly on Sunday afternoon.