Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu was hoping to be able to play with a protective cast after he suffered a thumb injury during Sunday’s 29-18 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but it appears that won’t be the case.

ESPN reported Tuesday that Mathieu’s fractured and dislocated thumb will need surgery to insert a pin for healing and that he probably would be out of action for three games.

Mathieu, who missed the season opener while in the final stages of recovering from a torn ACL last year, has logged 29 tackles and one interception for the Cardinals.

His replacement for Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs likely would be Tony Jefferson, who has started five games this season and has 62 tackles.