Ahead of the Cardinals’ matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, it was announced that edge rusher BJ Ojulari was ruled out for what would be the 25th consecutive game he has missed.
The 23-year-old tore his ACL, as well as two other ligaments in his left knee, on August 2 during training camp ahead of the 2024 season, which forced him to undergo surgery and miss more than a year.
Fast forward to 2025: Ojulari started the season on the reserve/PUP list (Physically Unable to Perform), requiring him to be listed as inactive for practice and the Cardinals’ first four games. However, the recent newsbreak points to his return rather soon, as the 21-day practice window was opened for him on October 30.
Selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of LSU, Ojulari put up an exceptional rookie campaign. At 21 years old at the time, he played in all 17 of the team’s games, recording four sacks and 40 total tackles on 409 defensive snaps.
While he won’t start right out of the gate, Ojulari will definitely be in the mix for more playing time, with rumors that the Cardinals may be fielding calls for starting linebacker Zaven Collins ahead of Tuesday’s 1:00 p.m. PST trade deadline.
Collins, 26, signed a two-year, $14 million extension ahead of the 2024 season and is a free agent after the 2026 season. With Arizona sitting at 2–5, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the front office tried to find ways to cut payroll. NFL analyst Josh Weinfuss believes this would be wise for the team, as they currently have a 4.8% chance of making the postseason.
It would also pave the way for Ojulari to earn more playing time, as the third-year edge rusher looks to build on his solid 2023 campaign.
Ojulari would be paired with veteran defensive end Josh Sweat on the other side, who signed a four-year, $76 million contract this past offseason.
The next 24 hours could determine what Ojulari’s role will be when he returns. If Zaven Collins is retained beyond the trade deadline, then Ojulari would see the field far less. But if general manager Monti Ossenfort chooses to pull the trigger and ship Collins elsewhere, then he could be seeing an increased role.