The San Francisco 49ers travel to face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3 on September 27, but the Cardinals might be short a big piece of the puzzle. Left guard Mike Iupati, signed away from the 49ers in free agency, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, and is expected to miss six to eight weeks, according to Adam Schefter. Six weeks would put Iupati back in time for Week 4 at the earliest.
The Cardinals offensive line is dealing with some issues. Aside from Iupati, right tackle Bobby Massie is suspended the first three games of the season. The Cardinals have some options behind them, but losing two starters is certainly not a good thing. The Cardinals have had issues developing consistency on their line, and keeping Carson Palmer on his feet is critical for that offense to get going. The Cardinals signed Chris Johnson earlier this week to compete for running back opportunities, but again, the line needs to be able to open up some holes for that group.
I have to imagine Darnell Dockett is licking his lips in anticipation of facing some backups in Week 3. That will mark his first game back since the team released him back in February.