A not-so-subtle tweet suggests that the Rodney Hudson is no longer in Arizona’s plans.
Sometimes, what you don’t say speaks volumes. And in the case of a recent tweet by the Arizona Cardinals, who they purposely chose not to include in the picture is saying a lot.
It was a fairly innocuous “countdown” tweet, reminding fans that there were just 60 days left until the regular season kicks off. But tweeting out a photo of the starting Offensive Line and omitting Rodney Hudson, whose indecision to commit to playing in 2022 has thrown a giant wrench into the middle of the Cardinals offseason, is seemingly a big tell.
Astute observers would note that there is no apparent connection between the offensive line and the number 60 (Hudson wears number 61 on his jersey.) In other words, the photo could have showcased AJ Green and Devon Kennard (whose jersey numbers- 18 and 42- add up to 60), and nobody would have batted an eye.
So the team purposely sent out a photo of the OL missing its Center. That, to me, seems to be an admission from those in the know that Hudson’s days in Arizona are over.
6️⃣0️⃣ Days To Kickoff pic.twitter.com/DCyXprmqP2
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) July 13, 2022
These are the things that the Arizona Cardinals need to be ironed out and buttoned up in February.
The timing of this will just feed the critics. Granted, there is never a good time to lose the anchor of your offense who has made numerous Pro Bowls; that’s a given. But going into a season where you will be missing your elite WR for the first six games and hoping your franchise QB can make a leap, having to replace Hudson on the fly will be no easy task with the Chiefs game now just two months away.
Also notable is that this will be the second year in a row where a high-profile move by Steve Keim did not bring back a sufficient return on investment while also putting the team in a bit of a bind.
Last year, CB Malcolm Butler abruptly retired during training camp after being signed as a Free Agent to take over the role vacated by Patrick Peterson presumably. The loss of Hudson is undoubtedly a bigger deal, as Arizona will lean heavily on its offense to carry them.
Your move, Keim.