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Arians: Mathieu 'real close' to return despite initial 3-6 week timeline

Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Tyrann Mathieu may be back on the field far sooner than anticipated.

Despite the three-to-six week recovery timeline he was issued after suffering a shoulder subluxation in Week 8, the Arizona Cardinals' star defensive back has made significant enough progress that he appears to be nearing a return.

"Ty's real close, but I don't know (about Sunday)," head coach Bruce Arians told reporters Tuesday, according to the team's official website.

Arians' comments suggest Mathieu can be expected to sit out this week against the San Francisco 49ers as the Cardinals return from their bye. Should he continue at his current pace, though, perhaps he'll be available for a Week 11 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.

Nearly every game will be a must-win for the Cardinals down the stretch, so having their top defensive playmaker back in action for the majority of the second half would be a huge boost.

Mathieu earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2015 after recording 89 tackles, one sack, five interceptions, and 17 passes defensed across 14 starts before going down with a season-ending knee injury in December.

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