The Cardinals learned just before the draft that linebacker Daryl Washington had been conditionally reinstated from suspension by the league in a move that opened the door for his return to action after missing the last three seasons.
Washington’s absence left the Cardinals with no choice to move on without him and they weren’t making plans on having him back in the lineup for the 2017 season, which leaves them with a decision to make about giving Washington another chance or cutting him loose.
The Cardinals have spoken to Washington, but team owner Michael Bidwill said on Mad Dog Sports Radio with Adam Schein on Wednesday that it will take more than a brief meeting for the team to make a call.
“This week is the week we’re focusing on it,” Bidwill said. “I don’t see this as a 30-minute meeting. There’s a lot that needs to go into this in our analysis because we haven’t seen him in three years. There’s a lot more process we’re going to go through than just having a meeting. Everybody’s got to be comfortable to put him back on the field. We’re going to go through our process and hopefully have an answer one way or the other soon.”
Bidwill didn’t detail what’s been discussed with Washington or what he’d need to hear beyond saying that any player who gets in trouble has to accept responsibility for their actions.