Wiggins to IR; Cardinals Add Five Players to Roster from Practice Squad

The 2021 season for Cardinals rookie safety James Wiggins might be over after he was placed on reserve/injured Saturday because of a knee injury. He is the 13th player currently on the team’s IR list, including nose tackle Rashard Lawrence, who has been designated for return, along with guard/tackle Justin Murray and defensive end Jack Crawford.

Murray had recently been designated for return, but his practice period expired Nov. 25 and he will remain on reserve/injured for the remainder of the season. Crawford was placed on IR on Aug. 24 and is not eligible to return.

A seventh-round pick this year, Wiggins was on the practice squad for the first five weeks of the season before being signed to the active roster on Oct. 13. He played in three games with all of his snaps (35/49%) coming on special teams.

He was then inactive for the next three games because of the knee injury, but returned to practice this past week when he was limited on Wednesday. Wiggins apparently suffered a setback that day and did not practice Thursday and Friday.

He would be eligible to return after the Week 15 game against Detroit.

Added to the active roster from the practice squad were long snapper Beau Brinkley, running back Tavien Feaster, linebackers Joe Walker and Tahir Whitehead, and cornerback Jace Whittaker.

Brinkley and Feaster were signed to the roster, while Walker and Whittaker were standard elevations with Whitehead a COVID-19 replacement for running back Jonathan Ward.

Walker was signed to the team’s practice squad on Oct. 13 and this is his seventh elevation to the roster. For Whittaker and Whitehead, it is their second elevation. Whittaker has been on the practice squad since being waived ion the cutdown to 53 players. Whitehead was signed to the practice squad on Nov. 2.

Meanwhile, the Bears activated rookie tackle Teven Jenkins from reserve/injured, designated for return. A second-round pick this year, Jenkins was placed on reserve on Sept. 2 and was designated for return on Nov. 15.

Standard elevations to the roster from the practice squad were linebacker Bruce Irvin and wide receiver Rodney Adams. It is the first elevation this season for both players. Adams has been on the practice squad since Sept. 3, while Irvin was signed on Nov. 19.