It’s not really taking baby steps because being on an NFL field is far from being an infant.
However, Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Darius Robinson is doing the proverbial day-to-day thing, and the hope is that, in the final four games of the season, he will be able to make some “wow” plays that will really have everyone anticipating what could happen consistently in 2025.
Robinson finally got on the field in Week 13 against the Vikings and played 22 snaps (42 percent). Last Sunday against the Seahawks, there were 30 snaps and a slight increase to 47 percent. He had the first assisted tackle of his career in that game.
Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said Robinson is “definitely getting a little bit more comfortable. Obviously, Game 2, a rookie. He plays with high motor. He’s disruptive and there are things still to clean up with technique or alignment/assignment and making the right decisions out there. But he improved from Game 1 to Game 2.”
It’s certainly not a walk in the park missing three months after his Aug. 22 calf injury and then getting on the field the first time as a pro when there had already been 11 games played in the season.
Comparing what Robinson has faced to players that build through training to have a “smooth transition” to the first game of the season.
For Robinson, Rallis said, it’s clearly different as “you’re thrown into the middle of the season. Others have been playing for a long time, guys have rhythm and he’s just now kind of hitting that. I can’t speak to it because I’m not the one going through it, but I’m sure there is a little bit of getting a little feeling out and getting a rhythm to play.”
Defensive lineman Roy Lopez said no one should worry about what Robinson will be.
Describing the rookie, Lopez said, “He’s a sponge. Like everybody asked when he was injured and going through everything, ‘How is he, how is he going through this.’ He’s a sponge. It was the same thing whether he was on the field or he wasn’t. He’s so hungry to learn. He truly loves ball.”
Lopez said the future is bright for him.
“Everybody’s here for a reason. There’s a reason he’s here. There’s a reason why he’s got a great future,” Lopez said. “He’s going to be amazing. As a fan of football, I’m excited to watch him play. He’s going to be a problem because he continues to learn every single day. It doesn’t matter what day it is. Before we go out there on the field on Sunday, or it could be Monday, Tuesday, any day. He loves football.”
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