Andre Ellington Injury Could Be Finishing Blow to Cardinals' Playoff Hopes

In Imperial China, there was a form of torture known as "Death by a Thousand Cuts." Pieces were systematically cut from the hapless victim, until they died a slow and excruciatingly painful death.

Football fans in Arizona are probably wondering what they did to tick off the emperor of the NFL, because that's when been happening to the Cardinals this year.

This latest cut, depending on how deep it goes, may be the one that causes the team to flatline.

Second-year running back Andre Ellington, who was being counted on as the Redbirds' featured back in 2014, was a surprise addition to Thursday's injury report after missing practice with soreness and swelling in his foot.

Ellington underwent an MRI on the foot Thursday night, and on Friday, Mike Jurecki of XTRA 910 radio in Phoenix sent out a tweet that sent shockwaves rolling through the Valley of the Sun like a haboob:

Now, before we go any further, it's important that I point out that reports regarding the severity of Ellington's injury vary wildly. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeted that surgery isn't an option that's on the table right now:

Get it? On the table? Come on people, I'm trying to lighten the mood. Work with me here!

In fact, Rapoport went so far as to suggest Ellington still may play on Monday night against the San Diego Chargers:

As Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports, we should have a much clearer picture of where things stand once Ellington visits with a foot specialist.

It's possible this could all be much ado about nothing, but make no mistake:

If Ellington misses significant time, the Cardinals are done.

After all, this is a player from which big things were expected in 2014 after the 5'9", 210-pounder became the first rookie since Ickey Woods in 1988 to lead the NFL in yards per carry.

During the team's preseason opener, Cardinals' broadcaster Ron Wolfley (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com) went so far as to compare Ellington to Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs.

"

I think he's gonna be basically Jamaal Charles. I think that probably is the best comparison. I was talking to some coaches, guys that I have an awful lot of regard and respect for on this team that believe he's a 2,000-yard per year player -- just like Charles, 70 receptions.They're going to get him the ball, they're going to do it in creative ways. ... He's a rare talent. He really is. Because there's not many running backs you can take and split them out.

"

According to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, head coach Bruce Arians said of Ellington back in February, "We want to build our offense around him."

Granted, the Charles comparison is a bit hyperbolic (if you've ever heard Wolfley on the radio, surprise you this should not), but the point is that Ellington was being depended on as a cornerstone of the Cardinals offense in 2014.

Not only may that cornerstone be out until well into October, but the players behind him on the depth chart (veteran Jonathan Dwyer and second-year pro Stepfan Taylor) are massive downgrades at running back.

"So what?" some will say. "Injuries are a fact of life in the NFL," they'll say. "One injury isn't going to doom the entire season!" they will exclaim, before heading off to the comments section of this piece to call me all sorts of delightful invectives.

That's all at least partially true. But, we're not talking about just one injury. We're talking about the latest loss for an Arizona team that's experienced more than a few in 2014.

Defensive end Darnell Dockett (ACL) and inside linebacker Daryl Washington (suspension) have been lost for the year. Fellow inside linebacker Karlos Dansby (who led the team in tackles last year) is now in Cleveland.

In addition to those defensive losses, since returning from the broken leg that cost him his entire rookie season, guard Jonathan Cooper has looked nothing like the first-round stud the Cardinals thought they were getting when they drafted him last year.

Now, in an NFC West where 10 wins couldn't even get the Cardinals into the playoffs last year and where the reigning division champs just annihilated the Green Bay Packers on national television, the Cardinals may have lost a player who their own coach said was going to be the foundation of the offense for an extended period of time.

It's just one too many cuts, and the Cardinals are bleeding out.

Gary Davenport is an NFL Analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter @IDPManor.