Top 5 players who could be unheralded contributors for the Arizona Cardinals in 2023
By Jim Koch
Nolan Cooney - Punter
For the past six seasons, the Cards employed one of the most consistent punters in the NFL. Andy Lee, a 41-year old veteran, is still looking for work. Arizona elected to move on from the three-time Pro Bowler this past offseason, and have replaced Lee with someone who is 15 years younger.
Nolan Cooney, a 26-year-old, earned the Cardinals gig with a spectacular performance this summer. Standing in his way was Matt Haack, a 29-year-old who had been punting in the league since 2017. The competition between the two lasted over the past several months, but Cooney took his performance to another level when the preseason got underway.
The 6 foot 3, 202 pound Cooney averaged an eye-popping 49.2 yards on 10 punts during the Cards' three exhibition matchups. Seven of the boots were dropped inside the opposition's 20-yard line, while the remaining three were returned for a total of just 21 yards. Arizona will likely be punting a ton of times in '23, and the strong-legged Cooney seems more than capable of handling what could be an extensive workload.
feed
(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)