The injury bug has dealt the Arizona Cardinals more than a few massive blows this season, and now, star linebacker Kyzir White landed himself on injured reserve thanks to a biceps injury. Earlier in the season, the same thing happened to Carlos Watkins and L.J. Collier, and now, White is the latest victim.
The good news is that the Cards have players with an opportunity to step up and show they can be effective assets in the wake of White’s season-ending ailment. Two of them are already part of the position group, but the third name could end up finding himself back there in some packages, where it will do him well to make the most of it.
One player we won't mention is Krys Barnes, who has played well when given an opportunity, as evidenced by his 84.3 PFF Grade. As for the other three linebackers listed, they may find themselves on thinner ice if and when they get their respective chances.
3 Arizona Cardinals linebackers who must step up after White’s injury
1 - Josh Woods
Josh Woods has eight games and four starts under his belt this season with 39 combined tackles to show for it. Not a bad number, but Woods also has just one tackle behind the line, one quarterback hit, and a half-sack, so his productivity hasn’t been outstanding.
However, Woods has been given plenty of chances to show he's more than just a solid special teams player. There is also a chance Zeke Turner gets a look if Woods continues to falter. But as an established special-teamer for the same franchise who hasn’t been given the same opportunity in his six seasons, Woods is the one who gets the call and needs to step up while Turner likely sticks to special teams duties.
If Woods shows he can be as effective on defense as he is on special teams, then he could see more snaps heading into 2024 as part of a rotation. However, if he doesn’t make plays, there is a rookie who may be ready to come out of nowhere and seize the opportunity.
2 - Owen Pappoe
Owen Pappoe has yet to see a snap on defense this season, but that could change if the Arizona Cardinals look to promote in-house and don’t sign anyone. Pappoe is a rookie who has seen time on special teams, 173 snaps to be exact, but he’s also someone who should be taking his game up a notch following White’s injury.
Pappoe probably won’t see the playing field much early on, as that will rest with Josh Woods and Krys Barnes. But Woods hasn’t fared well and as mentioned, and Zeke Turner has proven throughout his six-year career he’s best suited for special teams. This leaves Pappoe as the (not so) odd-man-out should pedestrian production continue to come from Woods.
Since Pappoe was a Day 3 pick, he must seize this opportunity and tighten his grip if it’s given to him. The rookie has already seen one Day 3 pick excel in his role, that being Dante Stills, so it’s clear that Jonathan Gannon and Company are willing to give them opportunities, but it’s Pappoe’s job to step up.
3 - Zaven Collins
This one is going out on a limb, because Zaven Collins is no longer a linebacker in a traditional sense, having played EDGE this season. But with Dennis Gardeck and BJ Ojulari holding things down along with Victor Dimukeje, White’s injury may free up Collins to see time at his natural position.
And if this happens, Collins must make the most of it after he’s been just okay as a pass rusher. Collins has been durable with 11 starts, but with 3.5 sacks and six quarterback hits, the experiment is failing fast. Now, he should at least warrant consideration to return to inside linebacker for the final six games and show he’s still an integral part of the defense.
Is this likely going to happen? Probably not, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about it, and it definitely doesn’t mean Jonathan Gannon and Nick Rallis shouldn’t at least consider it.
Source: Cardinals’ Kyzir White headed to IR with torn bicep, out rest of 2023 by Tyler Drake, ArizonaSports.com
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference, grades provided by PFF [subscription])