Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson won’t play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints because of an ankle injury, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Johnson is also expected to miss Thursday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9, according to the source.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury had said Friday that Johnson would be a game-time decision for Sunday’s game. The running back didn’t practice all week as he continues to recover from the injury that limited him to three snaps last week against the New York Giants.
Kingsbury said he wanted Johnson to be at “full speed, full capacity” before playing him.
“We talked about it last week. He tried to go, tried to tough it out and wasn’t himself and didn’t feel good,” Kingsbury said. “We want to make sure he feels like himself and 100 percent before we put him out there.”
With Johnson out, Chase Edmonds will again be the primary rushing option against New Orleans. Edmonds ran for 126 yards and three touchdowns in 27 carries in a 27-21 win over the Giants on Sunday.
Running back D.J. Foster was ruled out Friday, further limiting the Cardinals’ options at running back.
The Cardinals signed running backs Alfred Morris and Zach Zenner on Wednesday to provide depth behind Edmonds. It’s unclear which of the two will be active Sunday, but Kingsbury has been pleased with them thus far.
“Both guys have impressed,” Kingsbury said. “Both guys have played in this league … smart, hardworking and they’ll know the system and be able to slide in there and be effective.”
ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss contributed to this report.