The Cardinals practiced on Wednesday, and it is starting to look like another one of those weeks when the defense will be ravaged by injuries.
To start, cornerback Will Johnson (knee/hip) and linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (ribs) both didn’t practice today. The two were inactive in the team’s Week 10 loss on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, a game in which we saw rookies Cody Simon and Denzel Burke make their case to be full-time starters.
Pending injury designations after Friday’s practice, it seems as if this will be the case for Week 11, as the Cardinals host the San Francisco 49ers.
In his first career start, Simon racked up seven total tackles, flashing potential as a starter down the line. As for Denzel Burke, he has two straight games with an interception and will be looking to keep that streak alive on Sunday.
Some good news: cornerback Max Melton (concussion) was a limited participant in practice, and it seems as if he is on track to play on Sunday. This would be some much-needed reinforcement, as the secondary has been incredibly banged up.
The last update has to do with edge rusher BJ Ojulari, who hasn’t played since the 2023 season. He has been a limited participant in practice since his 21-day practice window was opened back in October, while it is unlikely he plays this weekend, these are good signs for the 23-year-old, who looks to make his long-awaited return.
While the defense is still incredibly banged up, head coach Jonathan Gannon should be satisfied with how his replacements have looked, as they have filled in nicely. On top of that, the cornerback room is beginning to get healthy, and while he isn’t playing this weekend, Will Johnson may be back soon.
Some notes from Wednesday as we head into the weekend.