Dennis Gardeck was back from the Physically Unable To Perform list Monday, and before practice he wanted to "get the juice back."
So he popped in some of the EDM he liked – “Opus" by Eric Prydz – and let the vibe flow over the locker room.
"It was a celebratory day," said defensive lineman J.J. Watt, who also came off the PUP list. "You can tell what the game means to him.
"But the first song, it probably took a good 12 minutes for the beat to drop. It took a while, but we got there.
Gardeck, who had been sidelined since Week 15 last season after tearing his ACL against the Eagles, just was looking for some fun.
"You've got to be patient with (the song)," Gardeck said. "It is a long build. It's worth it though. It's like a hike. The higher you climb, the more pretty the view is, or whatever."
Gardeck is back but he still wasn't saying he would definitely be available for the season opener Sept 12. The plan all along has been going day to day to see his progress. It seems unlikely he'd reach a guaranteed point of playing much before the first game, if it does happen.
"We want to be careful with him," coach Kliff Kingsbury said. "He had a longer term injury. He's doing great on is rehab, we like where he's at, but we will be cautious with how we approach it."
The Cardinals got other good injury news, with cornerback Darqueze Dennard and guard Brian Winters returning to the field. Kingsbury also said offensive lineman Justin Murray and linebackers Chandler Jones and Markus Golden also should return to practice at some point this week.
ISABELLA RETURNS FROM COVID LIST
Wide receiver Andy Isabella has returned from the Covid list for a second time this training camp. After missing two games, "it's a big week" for the third-year wide receiver, Kingsbury said.
"He hasn't had preseason action yet, and that's important, to see how he responds in a game," Kingsbury said. "I expect him to play a lot on Saturday."
Kingsbury added that Isabella has been training on his own, but the Cards will have to see where he is in terms of his conditioning after sitting 10 days.
"We'll see how he feels and get him as many reps as possible to get him prepared for Saturday," Kingsbury said.
ROSTER MOVES TO CLEAR SPACE, INCLUDING WAIVING BARCOO
Bringing back Isabella, Gardeck and Watt meant needed roster moves. One was waiving with a failed physical new cornerback Luq Barcoo, who had just been claimed Friday off waivers from Jacksonville. The Cardinals also released tight end Ian Bunting and wide receiver Rico Gafford.
Teams must be down to 80 players by Tuesday. With guard Justin Pugh and defensive lineman Jordan Phillips on the Reserve/COVID-19 list – which means they don't count against the active roster – and international tight end Bernhard Seikovits carrying an exemption, the Cards must release three players. When Pugh and Phillips return, those roster spots will also have to be cleared.
