The Cardinals have activated safety Tyvon Branch from injured reserve, the club announced. He’ll play Sunday against the Redskins, tweets Darren Urban of the team’s website.
Branch, a former Raider and Chief who signed a two-year deal with Arizona in March, appeared in the Cardinals’ first five games this season, racking up three starts and 20 tackles. He then landed on injured reserve Oct. 4 with a groin issue, and the team designated him to return from IR on Nov. 23. He’ll now rejoin a 4-6-1 club that entered the season as a Super Bowl contender but now has little room for error as it clings to slim playoff hopes.
While Branch will return Sunday, fellow defensive back Tyrann Mathieu is unlikely to suit up because of a sore shoulder. The 2015 first-team All-Pro’s shoulder kept him out of two of the Cardinals’ games in November, though he did play in their 38-19 loss to the Falcons last Sunday.