The Arizona Cardinals tweeted this photo of Rashad Johnson's bandaged hand. (Image credit: AZCardinals/Twitter)

Arizona Cardinals safety Rashad Johnson said he has no idea how he lost the tip of his middle finger in Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. "It probably wasn't getting used for anything good, anyway," the 204-pound safety said.

Johnson, who is in his fifth season with the Cardinals, remembers his hand feeling numb after he helped to bring down Saints running back Darren Sproles, according to ABC News' sister network ESPN. Then he saw blood dripping from his glove.

Trainers cut off the glove to find the flesh of Johnson's left middle fingertip severed at the knuckle. The bone was still attached.

"It didn't really set in until this morning when I got here and we took the gauze off and got it cleaned up here and I actually got to see it was the same length as my index finger," Johnson, 27, told ESPN. "It was pretty shocking to see it that way. But you know, this type of stuff happens."

But don't let his nonchalance fool you. Johnson said the gruesome injury and the steps to treat it were "pretty painful."

"I've been lucky to not have any major injuries, but to have someone have to chip away at your bone and dig into it to get it to the point where they can cover it back up was pretty painful the night after," he said.

Johnson had surgery Sunday night to shave down the bone and stitch up the wound, ESPN reported. And the Arizona Cardinals Monday tweeted a photo of Johnson's bandaged-up hand.

The injury could take weeks to heel, but Johnson said he hopes to play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I'm just going to take it day to day, see how everything heals up and how it feels," he told ESPN, adding that Cardinals coach Bruce Arians will make the call. "I'll trust his decision. If he thinks I'm ready to go, I'll definitely be prepared mentally and physically to go and play."

On the importance of his middle finger, the safety added, "I don't know pretty much what it's used for unless it's just the extra grip in making a tackle."