underachieving Floyd in September.

The return from his ACL tear is what turns heads. In the seventh month of rehab, Brown was already thinking about ditching his knee brace. While he was told to wear it to open camp, it was discarded less than two weeks in. While he was limited at first, he seamlessly integrated into work soon enough, making plays.

"I keep feeling like they're going to hold him back," said Palmer, a veteran of two ACL rehabs. "I feel like he's going to miss some days. Like there's going to be some soreness or something, but it's like it never happened, which is amazing.

"It's a testament to him and nobody else. He worked his tail off. We all witnessed it. We saw him all offseason, all spring. It's literally like (the injury) never happened."

With 55 catches in four years, Brown has never been a go-to target. He still is needed on special teams. But his chemistry with Palmer has grown – missed bomb aside – and the Cardinals need him to remain a viable threat, even if John Brown and Nelson click again.