It seems clear now that the narrative around Arizona Cardinals cornerback Will Johnson leading up to the 2024 draft was about more than only a knee injury suffered in 2023 that became a talking point after the Scouting Combine.
It was all about overall durability and availability.
There were other injuries while he was at Michigan, including his shoulder and toe and then a hamstring problem two months before the draft in February that resulted in him missing the combine and his pro day.
So it was that Johnson slipped into the second round as the 47th overall choice, a pick by the Cardinals that was considered a “steal” in most NFL circles.
Now, maybe not so much after a rookie season in which he missed five games, numerous practices because of groin,
back, hip, thumb and chest injuries and was placed on reserve/injured this week because of a neck injury suffered against the Seahawks that is expected to keep him out for the remainder of the season.
The bottom line is if that is the result, he will have played 14 games of a possible 34 in two seasons.
Meanwhile, a look at last season’s weekly injury reports revealed that Johnson was on the report for 13 of 17 games and did not practice 12 times, was limited in 15, full for 11 and no status once preparing for Week 9 when the earlier groin injury was apparently aggravated in a Thursday practice.
When asked Wednesday about the season-ending scenario, head coach Mike LaFleur said, “We’re bracing for the worst right there. I don’t know if that’s exactly the wording of it, but we’re not prepared to have him back. With what the medical team and the doctors all said, we think it’s in the best interest of him to not play this year unless something happens that would change that.”
LaFleur said he wasn’t sure if surgery might occur, but Dr. David Chao (@profootballdoc) told Cards Wire after watching the video of the injury, he believes it’s a “potential cervical facet (small-side joint) fracture” that is “ominous” for the season and that surgery is “possible.”
“You’re sick for Will for obvious reasons,” LaFleur said. “The person over the player. And then obviously you know his teammates are sick for him too.”
Echoing that sentiment, defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said Thursday, “It's always hard to lose a caliber player of Will. But I feel great about our depth. I felt great about our depth from the jump and it was such a good battle in that room (and now) guys are going to step up and fill that role.
“Anytime you lose a good player, it sucks. It sucks for Will. It sucks for the team. But guys know that it's an opportunity for other people to elevate their game and play good ball.”
One of those players with an opportunity is Star Thomas, an undrafted free agent by the Lions in 2023 who was claimed on waivers by the Cardinals after the cut to 53. He spent a few weeks acclimating and then played 12 games and stared seven that year, followed by playing all 17 in 2024 with 15 starts. However, Thomas then suffered a torn ACL early in the team’s 2025 training camp and missed the entire season.
He returned this year on a one-year contract, but thanks to the depth at the position, he was waived on Aug. 30 and then signed to the practice squad, from which he was signed to the 53-man roster Wednesday when Johnson went to IR.
LaFleur said, “Star’s played a lot of football here, Star’s played good football. And I think Star’s in a good spot, headspace-wise and physically.”
Thomas agrees.
“Physically I'm 100 percent,” he said this week. “I'm excited to go out there and just show what I can do. Show I'm a starting corner and I'm excited to play. I'm very confident right now.”
He admitted he had to “knock a little bit of rust off and get yourself ready and I'm excited for the opportunity on Sunday. I feel like I'm back to how I was in 2024 when I was playing some of my best ball.”
He added, “I love playing against the 49ers anyway. Man, you should go look at the ‘24 tape.”
How the secondary is aligned Sunday throughout the game is unknown with Max Melton and Denzel Burke in the mix along with Garrett Williams, who will see his first action of the season. Burke has been playing in the slot with Williams out.
With Burke potentially on the outside and the slot, Rallis said, “Anybody who's got to play dual roles is in the mindset of I have to be at a starter level in both those roles. So, I wouldn't say that it's going to be a difficult transition.
“It's natural in there for him. And then (there’s) the mental side of it with all the different calls and sometimes it can be weird because you're playing the same calls but from a different spot and so you have a different role within those calls and he's done a great job with that.”
Of course, the one thing known is that Johnson won’t be there and how it appears a draft “steal” might have serious questions moving forward.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Durability issues continue to plague Cardinals CB Will Johnson
