The Arizona Cardinals have been dealt another setback to their defensive secondary, as starting safety Adrian Wilson will miss the remainder of the season with an injury to his right heel.
Wilson is scheduled for season-ending surgery and is expected to be placed on injured reserve. He has played with soreness in the heel for some time, but it worsened to the point that he could not put pressure on it. The 26-year-old, in his seventh NFL season, sat out the last two games before seeing a specialist in Miami this week to confirm surgery was needed.
The loss of Wilson leaves the Cardinals thin in the secondary. Cornerback Eric Green was placed on the injured reserve list on Tuesday with a groin injury he suffered in the first half of Sunday's loss to San Francisco. The former third-round draft pick started all 11 games this season and ranked fourth on the team with 51 tackles, including 47 solo stops.
Antrel Rolle, who has made three starts this season, will replace Green as the starting corner, while Oliver Celstin is expected to replace Wilson. Reserve safety Aaron Francisco has missed the last three games with a calf injury.
Wilson, who started all nine of his games this season, has started all 16 games the previous three seasons and had not missed a game since the final week of the 2002 season. He had played in 73 consecutive games, with 59 consecutive starts. Wilson, named to his first Pro Bowl last season, ranked sixth on the Cardinals with 44 total tackles, including 33 solo stops, and had two interceptions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
