The Arizona Cardinals' 2025 season can be summed up with one word…injuries. While it isn’t the sole reason why they are 3–12, it has certainly played a key role in the dysfunction. The team is limping into their Week 17 road matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals (5-10).
With that being said, the Cardinals had their second practice of the week, taking place on Christmas Day. Twelve players popped up on the team’s injury report; half of them were non-participants.
Two of the big names who haven’t practiced this week are edge rusher Josh Sweat (ankle/knee) and safety Budda Baker (concussion/thumb). These two play a pivotal role in the Arizona defense, and losing them for a week would be terrible considering the circumstances.
The Cardinals already lost Walter Nolen III for the season with a knee injury, and he has made a big difference in the pass rush. The team has been able to generate more pressure when Nolen is healthy, so this loss absolutely stings. Now you need to factor in the Sweat injury as well. The 28-year-old has 11 sacks on the season after signing a four-year, $76 million contract over the offseason.
MORE: Cardinals receive update on two notable defenders who exited Sunday's game
If unable to go on Sunday, Arizona will be relying on another rookie to take a step up on Sunday. In this instance, it would be Jordan Burch, the team’s third-round draft pick out of Oregon. Burch has 19 tackles and one sack on the season.
The loss of Budda Baker, on the other hand, hurts even more, as the team may be without three of their defensive backs this Sunday. Will Johnson, Max Melton, and Jalen Thompson are all limited participants (which is a good sign), but the difference is how they look on Friday. While it is likely that some of these guys play, there is still potential for an entirely new secondary on Sunday.
On another note, OL Kelvin Beachum (NIR-rest), OL Evan Brown (NIR-personal), CB Kei-Trel Clark (back), and OL Paris Johnson Jr. (knee) were the other non-participants on Thursday. Obviously, it is expected that Beachum is healthy for Sunday, but Paris Johnson’s status may be up in the air depending on whether he practices today.
Luckily for Arizona, the Cincinnati Bengals do not have a good defense, so inactives on the offensive side of the ball you can take for granted (not really).
Defense, on the other hand, it will be a tough task to face Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins while running out your scout team secondary. It will be interesting to see what the status looks like for all of the Arizona defensive backs.