The Arizona Cardinals saw an absurd amount of injuries on the field during Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, further adding to what has been the story of an incredibly disappointing 2025 season.
Josh Sweat, Budda Baker, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Garrett Williams, and Walter Nolen III all went down with their own individual injuries in the team’s seventh straight loss. While players such as Baker were cleared to return, others were not as lucky. In fact, a pair of notable Cardinals defenders have played their last snaps of the season.
Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reported that both defensive tackle Walter Nolen III and cornerback Garrett Williams would be placed on season-ending injured reserve.
Williams was carted off the field in the first quarter after suffering a torn Achilles tendon. Entering the game, the Cardinals were already without their starting cornerback in Max Melton, who was dealing with a heel injury.
This is William’s second injury of the season, as the third-year corner suffered a knee injury in Week 2 that put him on IR.
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Later in the game, Walter Nolen III, the team’s blossoming superstar rookie, collapsed in pain in the third quarter. It was revealed that the injury is season-ending for the 22-year-old, who has shown so much promise in the limited time he has been on the field.
Nolen missed the team’s first seven games of the season with a calf injury before making his NFL debut in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys, where he recorded his first career sack.
Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury in Week 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which kept him out for two more games. What makes this very hard to hear is the fact that Nolen had no prior injury history coming into the league, a huge reason why he was selected in the first round.
Losing Nolen is devastating because he helps pave the way for other pass rushers to get home and draw pressure on opposing quarterbacks. This means the team will need someone to step up on Sunday.
The Cardinals travel to Cincinnati this weekend to take on the Bengals, another team that has been eliminated from playoff contention. The injury-plagued Arizona defense (secondary to be specific) will be facing the trio of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins…a daunting task to say the least.
The only hope Arizona will have is if quarterback Jacoby Brissett can capitalize on offense, meaning win in a shootout.
It would be nice to see Arizona win at least one more time before the season concludes for them, and this will be their best shot at doing so.