Walter Nolen III, the Cardinals’ first-round draft pick this year, recently went down with a serious calf injury in offseason training. Sadly, this injury puts his return for next season in serious doubt. Nolen, who will take over Campbell’s devastating interior presence, was just drafted 16th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. His injury will prevent him from starting training camp, as Head Coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed on Wednesday.
Nolen, who occupies a key position on the defensive line, is in intensive rehabilitation for his injury. Coach Gannon truly understood the blow that was dealt. He laid importance on the benefit to the young player by being able to learn every day during the recovery process. The coach didn’t provide a concrete timeline on when Nolen will be back. That leaves plenty of uncertainty about exactly how long he’ll be out.
“I don’t know that. I really don’t. We’ll see how it goes. Each one’s a little bit different. Each injury’s a little bit different. Each guy’s a little bit different.” – Jonathan Gannon
Coach Gannon made a huge comparison when talking about Nolen’s recruitment, comparing him to Darius Robinson. Robinson sat out the first 11 games of the 2024 season with a calf strain. He added that Nolen’s case is “a little bit different” than Robinson’s injury. As for Nolen, Gannon said he will “miss time.” Just how long he will be out from not just training camp but potentially the regular season as well remains to be seen.
With his injury, Nolen has been moved to the active Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. He joins his current Raiders teammates Bilal Nichols and BJ Ojulari on that list. This waiver provides the opportunity for continued evaluation of his condition while the team prepares for training camp.
The Cardinals will be watching Nolen’s rehabilitation progress as they decide on their roster options coming into the season. That is the number one priority of the team now, to get him back on the field as quickly as possible. Without a concrete timeline in place, the coaching staff and fans alike must exercise a little patience.
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