The Arizona Cardinals spent the day Tuesday making their final roster moves to get down to a 53-man roster. This included designating first-round rookie defensive tackle Walter Nolen and two others to the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Nolen suffered a calf injury in mid-July, which kept him out of the rest of training camp, as well as all of the preseason. The rookie was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and was impressing at practice before going down.
After a big year at Ole Miss, which ended with 6.5 sacks and an All-American nod, Nolen was seen as one of the best defenders in this year’s draft. He’ll now be eligible to make his first NFL appearance in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans.
Injuries Are Mounting on the Defensive Line
The Cardinals brought Nolen in as just one of many new additions to the defensive line this offseason. A group that suffered a bunch of injuries last year is already seeing more in 2025.
Both B.J. Ojulari and Bilal Nichols were also put on the PUP list after missing the majority of the 2024 season. They, along with Nolen, will have the opportunity to return at any point beginning in Week 5.
“The return to play process is not linear, and everybody’s a little bit different,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said. “All those guys that aren’t healthy enough to play right now, they’re all making strides.”
Ojulari’s injury came prior to the 2024 season, as he tore his ACL during training camp. Now, over a year removed, he is still rehabbing and hoping to get back on the field at some point this year.
Nichols did appear in six games for Arizona in 2024 but suffered a neck injury in Week 6. His injury, like Ojulari’s, is still keeping him off the field to begin the 2025 campaign.
“They’re itching to get back out there, but they understand they’ve got to be healthy enough to get back out there,” Gannon said. “They all have different timelines. And you know where they’re at with their recovery and rehab and return to play. We just kind of take it one day at a time.”
The Cardinals Are Prepared for a Situation Like This
After dealing with a slew of injuries on the defensive line last year, Arizona made sure to invest heavily in depth at the position. Currently, this year’s 53-man roster has seven players on the interior of the defensive line, with only three returning from 2024.
The edge group saw a lot of turnover as well, ensuring that the Cardinals will have a competent front line at all times.
Signings of Josh Sweat, Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson, as well as the draft selection of Jordan Burch, all helped bolster the unit. It will be a group with a multitude of skillsets, that should become even more dynamic when three more players return.
“They’re all a little bit different, but they’re all trying like heck,” Gannon said. “The timelines for those will be when they’re ready to go. But we need them all. I know that, we need them all.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Cardinals’ First-Rounder Among Three DL out at Least Four Games appeared first on Heavy Sports.