TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin briefly tested his sore hamstring Thursday, then watched the rest of practice.
If Boldin can't play in Sunday's season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, the Cardinals might look to Jerheme Urban for help in the passing game.
"If for some reason they have to lean on me more in the game, I'm ready for that," Urban said after sweating out practice in 100-degree weather Thursday.
However, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said he remains hopeful that Boldin will play for the defending NFC champions at University of Phoenix Stadium.
"He came out early and did some limited work with us, and then we shut it down just so we wouldn't stress it," Whisenhunt said of Boldin's participation in practice. "I really don't know where he is at this point. Hopefully, he'll continue to improve and we'll have a shot for the game on Sunday."
This isn't the first time that Boldin has dealt with hamstring problems. He injured a hamstring while making a 71-yard touchdown catch during a first-round playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons in January and missed the Cardinals' divisional-round victory over the Carolina Panthers.
"I don't know if I could compare those two (injuries), but I think Anquan's shown a history of trying to get back, and I'm hoping that that's what we'll have this week," Whisenhunt said.
For many teams, the potential absence of a Pro Bowl wideout could force drastic changes in the game plan. Not the Cardinals, who have a stable of reliable targets for quarterback Kurt Warner.
Arizona's potent passing attack has another Pro Bowler, Larry Fitzgerald, and Steve Breaston is a capable No. 3 receiver. Breaston, who is recovering from a bruised kneecap, fully participated in practice and is expected to play against San Francisco.
If Boldin can't go, the Cardinals also might rely on Urban, a six-year veteran who played in all 16 games last season and caught 34 passes for 448 yards and four touchdowns. Urban might have been the most improved player in training camp this year, and he said he's ready if Arizona needs him Sunday -- or beyond.
"Obviously, we're a better team if we're all spread out with our big guns, so hopefully we'll do that," Urban said. "I'm not going to add any extra pressure to myself, because I've done the little things to get here to be ready for this opportunity if it presents itself."
Boldin's status is only one of the questions facing the Cardinals as they prepare for the season opener, which will feature an NFC championship banner-raising ceremony. The offense, so reliable a year ago, also raised concerns as it sputtered through an 0-4 preseason.
Urban said the players were frustrated with their poor showing.
"Obviously, we were running a lot of our base stuff, but we should have executed more," Urban said. "We can't really build on it if you can't do it, so to speak, but all of us have been playing together for two years now, and I think we've got a good enough confidence level with each other."
Throughout August, Whisenhunt cautioned against drawing too many conclusions from the preseason struggles because the team barely dipped into its playbook. Asked Thursday if he was happy with how his offense has looked in practice this week, Whisenhunt smiled and replied: "If it works on Sunday, then it'll make it look like I knew what I was talking about in the preseason. So hopefully that's what'll happen."
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
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