NFL teams
Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Cardinals QB Drew Stanton: 'I've never had an injury like this before'

TEMPE, Ariz. -- During his press conference Wednesday, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians was asked what the best-case scenario was for Drew Stanton's return.

"Sunday," the coach answered.

Realistically?

"Sunday," Arians repeated. "Like I said, the brain does funny things."

While Arians' answer may have had some jest behind it, Stanton, who suffered a right knee injury on Thursday night in St. Louis, was serious when he said it's still too early to tell if he could play Sunday night against Seattle.

With a playoff berth already clinched, the Cardinals can afford to keep Stanton off the field as he continues to recover despite home-field advantage on the line against the Seahawks. Stanton said he hasn't suffered any setbacks during his rehab, which was six days old Wednesday. He said he has started jogging with a brace on his right knee to get acclimated to wearing it during games.

"I've never had an injury like this before," Stanton said. "So (I'm) dealing with it, trying to just trust the rehab that they have in place for me every day."

He was at Wednesday's practice, watching the quarterbacks warm up during the portion open to the media. The last time Stanton threw a football, he said, was "the other day" when he played catch with his son and his Mickey Mouse football at home.

Stanton said he's tried to maintain his range of motion since going down in the third quarter against the Rams with what's been reported to be a Grade 2 ACL and MCL sprain by keeping the strength built up in his quads and keep them firing.

"It's felt good," Stanton said. "It's one of those things you just go to kinda take time and the healing process is different for everybody.

"That timetable that everybody wants to put on it, I can't put one on it nor do I want to."

Stanton is keeping his goals simple for now: progress every day. While Sunday may not be realistic for his return, Stanton agreed with Arians.

It's the best-case scenario.

"I think as a competitor and as a guy that wants to help this team win, I want to get back as soon as possible now," Stanton said. "What that means? I don't know.

"I would like to be out there as soon as I can and I'm going to do everything within my power to do that."

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