Even the unfortunate Arizona Cardinals are dealing with a historically odd combination of injuries that has derailed their season. Losing four key starters to season-enders has been especially brutal for the team. With a mind-boggling 22 players on injured reserve, they’ve already used a league-high 80 players. Even fans and the management are worried. Their roster is leaps and bounds behind the rest of the National Football League, both in terms of talent and age.
The challenges started piling up during the opening weeks of the season. Running back James Conner, an essential cog in the Cardinals’ offense, suffered an injury in Week 3. Since then, the team has lost a string of injuries to former starters and current seventh man, Xavier Tillman Sr. As of now, three offensive starters from Week 1 find themselves on injured reserve, further complicating the team’s efforts to maintain momentum.
In a recent game, starting offensive lineman Josh Froholdt went down with an injury. This led to the unexpected, last-minute move of Jon Gaines II on the fly from guard to center. In the meantime, rookie Hayden Conner filled in nicely with Goodson out at guard and helped fill the void. For the first time all season, the Cardinals are really getting hit hard on their depth chart. Injuries have all but emptied their receiver and running back rooms, leading to this interesting reshuffle.
Even head coach Jonathan Gannon agreed about how rough these injuries have been. He remarked, “It’s a war of attrition. It’s the National Football League. It’s part of it.” Gannon’s sentiments are a testament to the cold truth teams endure as they begin to jump into the unbearable onslaught the season brings.
In addition to Froholdt’s misfortune, he’s not the only player to fall victim to the bad luck. Defensive lineman Walter Nolen III went down with a knee injury and cornerback Garrett Williams has an Achilles injury. Defensive end Josh Sweat is out with an ankle injury. His absence marks the latest in a long list of players who sadly are not able to take the field.
Jacoby Brissett, the team’s quarterback who added veteran presence to the locker room, shared the team’s frustration with the injury woes. He particularly emphasized the importance of moving out on opportunities when you find them. He noted the closeness of teammates on and off the field during such trying times.
“It’s tough because we already are down guys, so it’s tough to see the guys that you know put in the work with go down,” – Jacoby Brissett
Brissett underscored the care and respect that players have for each other when an injury occurs.
“It’s very unfortunate and you can’t prevent it. That’s the sorry part about it, but you see the amount of respect when one of our guys goes down and you see everybody on the team going up to those guys… You see the love that we have for each other.” – Jacoby Brissett
Their continued fight with injuries have moved several players to roles they likely didn’t expect to be in. Rookie wide receiver Michael Wilson said that’s just how it goes, and adaptability has to be the focus when these situations come about.
“It’s difficult because guys are getting put in roles that maybe they wouldn’t have been in prior to the season or after camp, but you got to be adaptable and adjustable,” – Michael Wilson
This positive attitude is infectious throughout the locker room as players work to stay concentrated on their goals amidst the departures. While emphasizing the need to continue moving ahead, Coach Gannon recognized the emotional burden these injuries pose to players.
“Obviously, they feel bad for their teammate,” – Jonathan Gannon
He continued by addressing the emotional weight players carry when sidelined:
“They feel down that they’re not going to be out there, but you have to go play football.” – Jonathan Gannon
As the Cardinals continue to play through this injury-plagued season, it will be their depth and resilience that will see them through. Those next most important games will be a challenge to find creative solutions and respond to situations of unexpected adversity. The group continues to express optimism that despite these growing competitive challenges, with continued adaptation and ingenuity, they can still compete and win.
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