GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Rookie guard Jonathan Cooper underwent successful surgery Sunday to repair a fractured left fibula and likely will be placed on the NFL's injured reserve/designated for return list, meaning he would be eligible to return later in the season.
Players on the IR/return list must sit out six weeks before being allowed to practice and eight weeks before being allowed to play, although Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said Monday that Cooper might not be ready to return until Week 12.
"The best part is that the operation went great," Arians said, adding Cooper did not require any rods or plates to help heal the leg. "The doctors were very positive about it. Whether he can come back, we'll wait and see for a couple more days. There is a chance he could come back with six games to go."
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Arians said right guard Daryn Colledge will now be the starting left guard, a position he's played the past two seasons for the Cardinals and five seasons before that for the Packers.
Taking Colledge's spot at starting right tackle, at least for now, will be former Arizona State lineman Paul Fanaika, who has played just three games in his four-year NFL career and was out of football last season.
Fanaika, though, was running with the Cardinals' first-team offense at right guard when Colledge missed two weeks of training camp because of nerve damage and a slight fracture in his right leg.
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"Paul's played extremely well all camp, he's had a bunch of snaps," Arians said. "Daryn's injury kind of ending up as a blessing for us in that (Fanaika) got all those snaps. We're confident he's a solid player. And we knew Daryn can play left guard, so that was (the reason for the decision)."
Guard Chilo Rachal, a free-agent addition this year, has started 46 games in his career and initially replaced Cooper after the first-round pick was injured during Saturday's preseason loss to the Chargers. Arians said Rachal will remain "in the mix" for a chance to be the starter.
Arians said he would not consider moving any of his tackles inside, including starting left tackle Levi Brown.
"Not until I find someone to take his place at left tackle," the coach said.
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Arians said rookie guard Earl Watford, the team's fourth-round pick from James Madison, is making progress daily but that he's a bit too raw to consider for a starting spot at this time.
"It feels good," Fanaika said about getting his shot at starting. "That's what camp is all about, to come out here and show them what you can do. It feels good to be counted on, to be able to step right in and do the job. It's exciting."
Colledge was prepared for anything, telling reporters after Cooper's injury Saturday night that he was willing to play either guard position.
"It should be an easy transition for me," he said. "I expect to fit right back in there and get it done. But again, I'm going to continue to keep working on the right side in case the situation goes the other direction, too; I need to be prepared to play either side of the ball."
Colledge said switching back to the left side will be more mental than physical in that he'll just have to reverse all the calls made at the line of scrimmage prior to the snap.
He was asked if this means he'll now start picking up his fork with his left hand or using that same hand to flip on and off light switches around the house.
"Yeah, something like that," he said, laughing. "I started brushing my teeth with my other hand (Sunday) when I found out."
Bob McManaman writes for The Arizona Republic, a Gannett property.
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