Cardinals' Brown done for season with heel injury
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown is headed to injured reserve and won't play again this season due to a heel injury, head coach Jonathan Gannon announced Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The heel has bothered Brown for weeks, but the 2019 first-round pick managed to play through it until he missed last week's loss to the Chicago Bears.
Brown - whose contract with Arizona expires at the end of the season - amassed a team-high 101 targets across 14 games in 2023 to go along with 51 receptions for four touchdowns and 574 yards, a career single-season low.
The Oklahoma product joined the Cardinals as part of a trade during the 2022 offseason from the Baltimore Ravens. Brown topped 1,000 yards in his last year in Baltimore but hasn't replicated that success in Arizona. He missed five games in 2022 en route to finishing the campaign with 709 yards and three touchdowns.
Wide receiver production has been an issue for Arizona. Tight end Trey McBride tops the club with 743 receiving yards in 2023.
The 3-12 Cardinals play the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks in their final two games this season. Arizona has a 97% chance of landing a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, according to ESPN. The team also has an extra first-round selection next year from the Houston Texans.
Brown is one of many high-profile wide receivers who could hit the open market during the 2024 offseason. Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals, Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Michael Pittman of the Indianapolis Colts will also be looking for new contracts next year.