Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Tip Reiman (87) against the Kansas City Chiefs during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Cardinals Suffer Blow vs Panthers

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 12:42 PM ET

TEMPE -- The Arizona Cardinals have ruled out TE Tip Reiman and LB Cody Simon ahead of their Week 2 home date against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon revealed the news to reporters ahead of Friday's practice.

"On the injury front. Cody [Simon] will be ruled out. Tip [Reiman] will be ruled out. And we'll have a full report for you guys about the rest of them [later today]," said Gannon.

Where Do Cardinals Go From Here?

Reiman - though he isn't the starter with superstar Trey McBride ahead of him on the depth chart - was still a crucial piece in Arizona's rushing attack, as the Cardinals love to utilize multiple tight end sets more than most teams in the league.

Reiman, in his second season, has developed himself into a critical part of Arizona's rushing attack, even sometimes aligning at fullback.

Reiman's blocking prowess will likely be replaced by backup tight end Travis Vokolek while fellow tight end Elijah Higgins will still serve in a mostly pass-catching role - though Higgins has caught the eye of Gannon recently:

"I really thought that he displayed decisiveness and a lot of violence week one. So that was good, he know-knows what to look for, who to anticipate coming, who's the guy that he's going to have to block. He does a good job," he said of Higgins.

"We use him a lot of different ways, and he handles it. The cool thing about him too, once you correct a detail on something, he's smart, he doesn't have a lot of mental errors, but just the details of everything, how we use him, once he makes that mistake [we ask], 'can you clean it up?' He gets it. He learns quickly. He's a good player, he's doing well."

As for Simon, he was projected to be a rotational/special teams player in his first season with the team after being drafted out of Ohio State. Simon didn't touch the field for Arizona's defense in Week 1 but did play ten special teams snaps.

“He really had a chance this year to run the show for them. I think his tape improved throughout the year. He had a really strong playoffs," Assistant Cardinals GM Dave Sears said after drafting Simon.

"Going back to that championship DNA, you can see that in this kid, and he certainly has command of the team. When you have command of an elite defense like that, that says something about your character and knowledge because they're not just going to look to anybody. Those guys are all high-level players that turn to this guy to give them direction. That was a big factor in it.”

The Cardinals and Panthers will both release their final injury reports later today.