Cardinals place Johnson, Branch on IR

The Arizona Cardinals placed running back Chris Johnson and safety Tyvon Branch on injured reserve Tuesday with groin injuries.

It's the second straight season Johnson's season has ended on IR, after his 2015 was cut short by a leg injury.

The veteran runner has acted as David Johnson's backup this year. and it's likely Andre Ellington will take over that role with Johnson out for at least eight weeks.

Teams don't have to designate a player to return when they're placed on IR, so Johnson - or Branch - could come back this season unless a player of more importance is hurt in the coming weeks.