The Arizona Cardinals received more bad news this week when it was revealed Jonathan Ledbetter would miss Sunday’s game thanks to a finger injury. The good news, however, is that Ledbetter’s injury shouldn’t be a long-term issue, and he could return as early as Week 5.
In three games, Ledbetter has been a steady presence, recording 12 combined tackles, a sack, and a quarterback hit. Formerly an undrafted free agent, Ledbetter has worked his way into becoming a regular starter for Arizona, and if he continues to produce for the Cards, look for him to stick around the desert long-term.
So far in 2023, the injury bug has once again bitten the Cardinals. First, Myjai Sanders went down and he has yet to play in a game this season. Sanders was supposed to take on a larger role with the Cards, but that may need to wait until 2024.
Injury bug continues to hit the Arizona Cardinals hard
L.J. Collier and Budda Baker went down next, with Collier suffering a biceps injury and Baker, a hamstring ailment. Carlos Watkins, another projected role player, is also on injured reserve with his own biceps injury. With such a depleted defensive line, look for the “next men up” to take charge in this one, led by nose tackle Leki Fotu.
Meanwhile, linebacker Josh Woods is once again out for the contest with an ankle injury, and fellow linebacker Krys Barnes could also miss the contest with a finger injury. Paris Johnson Jr. also has an ankle injury and is questionable, as are Marquise Brown (thumb), and Keaontay Ingram (neck).
As you can see, there could be more than just a patchwork unit taking place this week, and the San Francisco 49ers are not the team you want to see guys missing time against. But, the Cards have overcome adversity in recent weeks, so let’s see if they can do it again here.
Source: Injury Report: Week 4 at 49ers by Zach Gershman, AZCardinals.com
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)