Cardinals' Antonio Hamilton Reveals He Suffered 2nd-Degree Burns in 'Freak Accident'

Arizona Cardinals starting cornerback Antonio Hamilton will miss the start of the 2022 season after announcing on Twitter that he suffered second-degree burns on his legs and feet in a "freak accident" last Monday.

Hamilton didn't explain the exact events that led to his injury but noted it "could've ended up deadly."

The Cardinals placed Hamilton on the reserve/non-football injury list on Thursday, meaning he will miss the first four games of the season before being eligible to return. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported that the accident occurred while Hamilton was cooking in his home and spilled oil.

Hamilton said on Twitter that he had the "greatest" training camp of his seven-year career. That sentiment was echoed by Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

"It's disappointing for him," Kingsbury told reporters. "He had earned a starting role."

Hamilton is entering his second season in Arizona. He appeared in all 17 games for the Cardinals in 2021 with two starts. The 29-year-old began his NFL career in 2016 with the Raiders, who were based in Oakland at the time. After two years in the Bay Area, he played two seasons with the New York Giants and spent 2020 with the Kansas City Chiefs.

In 74 career games, Hamilton has registered 88 total tackles and nine passes defended.

While Hamilton is sidelined, the starting cornerback role will likely either go to Marco Wilson or Trayvon Mullen Jr., the latter of whom was acquired in a trade with the Raiders earlier this week.