Kent Somers

azcentral sports

From every corner of the Cardinals locker room, as well as inside its borders, the message was the same on Friday.

If the Cardinals have to play on Monday night against the Chargers without starting running back Andre Ellington, little or nothing on offense will change.

Outside the locker room, there are few, if any, people who believe that.

"Our general philosophy is this: next man up," offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin said. "Whoever is out there is out there. Who knows what's going to happen? You'll see who is out there on Monday."

Ellington suffered or aggravated a foot injury on Thursday and could miss significant time, including the season opener on Monday, according to NFL sources.

Ellington underwent an MRI on Thursday, according to a source and ESPN.com reported that he was scheduled to see a foot specialist in Arizona on Friday. He was not at practice on Friday.

Coach Bruce Arians was not available to reporters on Friday, and the final injury report before the game is issued on Saturday. That report designates injured players as probable, questionable, doubtful or out.

The team's three coordinators meet with reporters on Friday, and Goodwin declined to discuss injuries.

"That's out of my pay scale," Goodwin said. "I don't talk about injuries."

While the Cardinals are reciting the usual "next man up" mantra that's popular in the NFL, Ellington's absence would be a huge blow. His quickness, speed and receiving ability give the team versatility and a big-play threat out of the backfield.

In training camp, Arians said it was fun designing plays for Ellington because the second-year back could do so many things. The Cardinals limited Ellington's playing time in the preseason in order to keep him healthy for the season.

Jonathan Dwyer, in his fifth season, likely would start in place of Ellington, with Stepfan Taylor and Robert Hughes serving as backups.

A free agent who played four seasons in Pittsburgh, Dwyer signed with the Cardinals this off-season and was impressive in training camp.

He's started only six of 36 NFL games and has gained 971 yards on 230 carries, a 4.2-yard average.

"I've been in this situation before," Dwyer said. "I don't think it (the offense) changes too much. Obviously, there are some things we might have to tweak. We're all capable of doing most everything."

Ellington, a sixth-round pick out of Clemson a year ago, was dynamic as a rookie. His 5.53 yard rushing average led all NFL players with at least 100 attempts.

Ellington had foot and ankle problems at Clemson, and it's unknown if his current injury is related.

According to reports, in 2010, he had surgery to repair a ligament tear and sesamoid bone fracture. In 2012, he underwent "minor" ankle surgery to clear scar tissue from a previous injury.

He played in 49 games in college, starting 33. He didn't miss a game his last two seasons.

Up next

Cardinals vs. Chargers

When: Monday at 7:20 p.m.

Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale.

TV: ESPN