Andre Ellington

Although Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington was inactive for a third straight game Sunday, coach Bruce Arians said it was a last-minute decision to hold him out.

Ellington, who has been sidelined since the season opener due to a sprained knee, was "very close" to playing against the St. Louis Rams. "It was between him and a healthy player," Arians said.

Cardinals general manager Steve Keim is optimistic Ellington will be ready for next weekend's game against the Detroit Lions.

"He was close to being ready this week. As a matter of fact he practiced and I thought he looked pretty good out there," Keim said per Arizona Sports. "But I think he feels pretty good and he's excited and ready to go. Hopefully he'll have a good week of preparation and we'll see him out there against Detroit."

Chris Johnson has played well in Ellington's absence, rushing for 110 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3 and adding 83 yards on 16 carries in Sunday's loss. It will be interesting to see how the team splits the workload. Ellington should be involved in the passing game while Chris Johnson could see more of the early down work.