Dennis Gardeck returns from PUP list, Andy Isabella returns from Covid list,

Denis gardeck was back on the physically unable to play roster on Monday, and before practice he wanted to “get the juice back”.

So he jumped into some of the EDMs he liked – “Opus” by Eric Prydz – and let the mood flow in the locker room.

“It was a day of celebration,” said defensive lineman JJ Watt, who is also off the PUP list. “You can say what the game means to him.

“But the first song, it probably took a good 12 minutes for the beat to drop. It took a while, but we got there.

Gardeck, who had been sidelined since Week 15 last season after tearing the ACL against the Eagles, was just looking to have some fun.

“You have to be patient with (the song),” Gardeck said. “It’s a long build. It’s worth it. It’s like a hike. The higher you go, the better the view, or whatever.”

Gardeck is back, but he still wasn’t saying that he would definitely be available for the season opener on September 12. The plan has always been in place to see its progress. It seems unlikely that he will reach a guaranteed point of playing long before the first game, if that happens.

“We want to be careful with him,” said coach Kliff Kingsbury. “He’s had a longer term injury. He’s doing really well in rehab, we like where he’s at, but we’ll be careful how we approach him.”

The Cardinals had more good injury news, with the cornerback Darqueze Dennard and keep Brian Winters back to the field. Kingsbury also said the offensive lineman Justin murray and linebackers Chandler Jones and Markus Doré is also expected to return to practice at some point this week.

Wide receiver Andy Isabelle came back from the Covid list for the second time this training camp. After missing two games, “it’s a big week” for the third-year receiver, Kingsbury said.

“He hasn’t played in the preseason yet, and it’s important to see how he reacts in a game,” Kingsbury said. “I expect him to play a lot on Saturday.”

Kingsbury added that Isabella trained on her own, but the Cards will have to see where he stands in terms of conditioning after sitting for 10 days.

“We’ll see how he feels and get him as many reps as possible to get him ready for Saturday,” Kingsbury said.

Bringing back Isabella, Gardeck and Watt meant necessary roster changes. One of them gave up a new failed physical cornerback, Luq Barcoo, who had just been claimed Friday on waivers of Jacksonville. The Cardinals also freed tight end Ian Bunting and wide receiver Rico Gafford.

The teams are to be reduced to 80 players by Tuesday. With guard Justin Pugh and defensive lineman Jordan Phillips on the Reserve / COVID-19 roster – meaning they don’t count on the active roster – and international tight end Bernhard Seikovits on a bye, the Cards must free three players. When Pugh and Phillips return, those spots will need to be cleared as well.