Levi Brown Injury: Cardinals Tackle Reportedly May Miss Season With Torn Tricep

Arizona Cardinals starting left tackle Levi Brown has a torn triceps in his right arm, and he's reportedly in danger of missing the entire 2012 season.

UPDATE: Friday, August 24 at 7:50 p.m. ET by Jesse Reed

It's official. Brown's season is over. 

According to NFL Network's Albert Breer:

"

Cardinals officially announce that OT Levi Brown has been placed on IR.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 24, 2012"

The Cardinals are in big trouble. The offensive line is in shambles, and as bad as Brown has been for his career, at least he was healthy and he was starting to make progress. 

It'll be interesting to see what Ken Whisenhunt can manage with his haphazard offense in 2012. 

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UPDATE: Saturday, August 18 at 9:38 p.m. ET by Richard Langford

Levi Brown's season is inching closer to being officially over. This comes to us via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk: 

"

A source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that an MRI on the injured triceps of left tackle Levi Brown reveals a tear that will require season-ending surgery.

"

This news isn't a surprise, but the hope was still out there that it might not be as bad as feared. Unless Florio's source is making stuff up, which is highly unlikely, it is time to switch the hopes for Brown's recovery to next season. 

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According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

"

#Cardinals T Levi Brown isn't in pain. But his tricep, torn upon contact with a defender, is weak. He can't do a pushup. Likely IR

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 18, 2012"

"

As if the Cardinals don't have enough QB troubles... Tackle Levi Brown does have a torn tricep, source says. At least 4 month recovery.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 18, 2012"

This is the last thing the Cardinals need. As Rapoport stated, and as we all know, the team isn't yet set at the quarterback situation. Kevin Kolb has been atrocious so far this preseason, and John Skelton hasn't exactly been lighting things up, either.

The team had to limit Skelton to just five snaps in their preseason game on Friday night against the Oakland Raiders. According to the AP, "Whisenhunt said he didn't want the starting offensive line to play in the second half and he didn't want Skelton playing behind the backups."

Read between the lines on that one, and it's plain to see that Whisenhunt is scared for the safety of his starting quarterback. 

The Cardinals were already perilously thin at the offensive tackle position before Brown's unfortunate injury. His replacement in Friday's preseason game was D.J. Young—a man who spent most of the 2011 season on the team's practice squad. 

And, while Brown has certainly been one of the worst offensive tackles in the NFL in recent years, he was actually making strides in the right direction at the end of last season. 

The Cardinals are looking at another long season on offense, and the way things are looking presently, they'll be lucky if Kolb or Skelton is available by the end of the year.

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