Arizona Cardinals first-round defensive lineman Walter Nolen III is going to play this year.
It’s just a matter of when.
Since being placed on the PUP list to start training camp, Nolen has not practiced with the team.
Mental reps? Sure. Physical reps? Nonexistent.
That’s why this week is an important one for Nolen and his hopes for playing in Week 1.
“He’s doing well, he’s progressing right where he should be progressing,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said during joint practice in Denver last week. “He hasn’t had any — I don’t want to say the word setback — but hasn’t had any setbacks. He’s progressing well.”
With the Cardinals’ 27-7 loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday, Arizona has just one more exhibition before games start counting. Twenty-one days from now, it’s go time.
Time is running out for Nolen, who only has a handful of practices to not only be activated off the PUP list, but also ramp up in time for the start of the regular season.
The early reports around Nolen suggested his recovery timeline could run up against the start of the regular season.
Things are certainly trending that way with each day Nolen isn’t participating.
And even if he does come off the PUP list this week, his status for Week 1 remains very much in the balance.
Just because Walter Nolen III comes off the PUP list, doesn’t mean he’ll play Week 1
There’s a world where Nolen is healthy enough to crack the initial 53-man roster but remains on the shelf as an inactive for the first couple of games.
If his timeline is within the four-week window required for starting the season on the reserve/PUP list, that will likely be the case.
That being said, Arizona doesn’t necessarily need to rush the rookie back, given the makeup of the DL room.
Unlike the Cardinals’ situation with 2024 first-rounder Darius Robinson and his calf issue that stunted his rookie year to just six games — essentially a redshirt rookie season — Arizona reloaded in a big way this offseason with the additions of veterans Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson.
Toss in Robinson, L.J. Collier and Dante Stills and the rotation of big men up front appears to be in a good spot.
And that’s before mentioning P.J. Mustipher, Elijah Simmons or Justin Jones rounding out the room. Bilal Nichols (neck) could also be a late candidate if he can get off the PUP list, too.
Who else could use a return off the Cardinals’ PUP list this week?
In addition to Nolen and Nichols, seeing pass rusher BJ Ojulari coming off the PUP list this week would be beneficial in his return to action.
Ojulari hasn’t tasted any on-the-field work since going down with a torn ACL in last year’s training camp action.
Since then, the once projected starter has worked to get back to his prior form.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, continued to upgrade the position with top free-agent addition Josh Sweat and rookie standout Jordan Burch joining the team this offseason.
Returners Zaven Collins, Baron Browning and Xavier Thomas are expected to take a step forward this year.
And seeing offensive lineman Will Hernandez check the appropriate boxes to come off the PUP list sooner than later would add some serious depth early on.
He’s been cleared from the season-ending knee injury suffered early last season. It’s just a matter of getting into football shape.