Last year, the Arizona Cardinals medical tent was pretty busy. At one point in the season, there were 24 guys listed on IR.
Even early in the preseason, several players have been lost for the year: OG Chase Bisontis, TEs Kenny Yeboah and Jameson Geers, LB Austin Keys, CBs Jaden Davis and Joey Blount, and DT Kaleb Proctor.
RELATED: WILLIAMS ACTIVATED FROM PUP LIST
The Cardinals have activated CB Garrett Williams off the PUP list. This is actually surprising based on his injury from last year when He
tore his Achilles tendon in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons.
The injury came in late December, which placed the time frame for complete recovery around four to six months for normal folks doing normal activities. Since playing football is not considered an ordinary situation, the projection to return to the field is anywhere from six to 12 months. With this being late August, Williams’ rehab is at eight months.
In almost every press conference with head coach Mike LaFleur, he was often asked about Williams, and LaFleur seemed positive at each and every presser. In the August 3 post-practice press conference, he stated when asked about the PUP players:
“Yeah, I’d say progress, but no timeline right now. If you ask Tip (Reiman), Tip’s feeling good. Garrett’s (Williams) feeling good. Sweaty’s feeling good. But I don’t have a timeline for you, and truly I mean that.”
CB Will Johnson is healthy. So are CB Denzel Burke and CB Max Melton. Those four should become the main actors in the starting cornerback slots in Week 1. But where? How is this going to play out?
The development of Williams was considered one of the keys for this defensive backfield. At times, he looked like a gem that was taken in the third round. Then, in other games, he appeared lost and played badly. He is entering his fourth NFL season and is the second-oldest defensive back on the roster behind S Budda Baker.
The more quality players that you have in one position room, the better it’s going to be for not only the team, but for that player. Good athletes thrive on competition.
For starters, Johnson will be situated at the left outside cornerback position. Burke has already grabbed the right outside cornerback spot. That leaves the slot.
Williams has been earmarked for this position, but Melton is going to push him. And hard. So is Sean Murphy-Bunting.
When Jonathan Gannon was the head coach, the defense featured Williams inside as well as outside. And even though Nick Rallis was the DC last year, he wants to stick three guys at three positions, and then rotate other players in as needed. If at all.
Williams is one of the best cornerbacks on the roster. LaFleur has stated that Williams will compete for the nickel (slot) position and will have to win back the job. More than likely, you won’t see Williams play in the preseason at all.
There hasn’t been a timeline for his return, and there isn’t a timeline for his reappearance in the lineup. Plus, Williams just might not be 100% for a return in Week 1, so we will see. The coaching staff may decide to bring him back slowly now that he is off the PUP list, which could hinder the number of snaps he gets in each game. Or, he may not be ready to get back on the field until later.
The defense is expecting a big jump from Johnson in his second year in the league. Injuries kept him from completing a full season, but what he learned as a rookie should help him improve his play in 2026.
Take the players that are now healthy: Johnson, Burke, Melton, and Williams. Add in the backups Murphy-Bunting, Kei-Trel Clark, and Elijah Jones. Now mix in the safety guys such as Baker, Andrew Wingard, Kitan Crawford, and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson.
The NFC West Division may be a pass-happy place to reside, but this year, the Cardinals are going to be ready and make life very difficult for the likes of Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy, and Sam Darnold.
But these guys aren’t the ones this Cardinals defensive backfield is the most concerned with. That job lies with Puka Nacua (Rams), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks), and Mike Evans (49ers).
