3 Arizona Cardinals players on the hot seat who need a huge Week 17
By Sion Fawkes
3 - Krys Barnes, ILB
Krys Barnes has been one of the more underrated players at inside linebacker since he entered the league in 2020. And if he wants to return to the desert, Barnes needs to lead a rushing defense that was nothing short of miserable last week to attain better results.
Statistically, Barnes had a good game last week with nine tackles, but none of them occurred behind the line. Despite recording 42 combined tackles this season, only two have gone for a loss, and he has been rather nonexistent in pressuring quarterbacks.
Overall, Barnes has played like a high-end backup or role player, even if he has the potential to do more. So these last two games will be pivotal for the much-maligned linebacker to make an impact, get a contract extension, and become a more prominent player for the Arizona Cardinals.
Someone on defense must step up to stifle opposing rushing attacks in Weeks 17 and 18, and Barnes is in the best position to show he can lead the charge.
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(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)