For the vast majority of the week, the Arizona Cardinals have kept a relatively clean injury report, as the only big question marks were centered around quarterback Kyler Murray and running back Emari Demercado. However, one notable defensive starter was added late on Friday after practice, putting his availability for Monday Night Football in limbo.
Cornerback Will Johnson was added to the injury report on Friday after being limited in practice due to a groin injury. The 22-year-old rookie sensation has already missed time in 2025 with the same groin injury that has lingered throughout his playing career, and it is definitely a concern to see his status listed as limited right after the team's bye week.
In five games, Johnson has recorded 13 tackles (9 solo, 4 assisted), broken up five passes when targeted, and has been excellent against the run. He is still in search of his first career interception.
In what will likely be a game-time decision, this would be a massive loss for head coach Jonathan Gannon if Johnson is unable to play on Monday. We can expect to see a larger workload from Denzel Burke, the fifth-round pick of this year's draft, who has appeared in all of the team's seven games.
If starting on Monday, Burke will be tasked with lining up across from either CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens, a daunting task for anyone, rookie or not.
Once projected to be picked in the top 10, Johnson fell all the way to the second round at pick 47 due to his injury history. However, the 6-foot-2 defensive back quickly turned heads after a strong start to his rookie campaign, despite missing time.
This is definitely a storyline to keep an eye on as we head into the weekend, and we will monitor Johnson's status heading into the pivotal Monday night game in Dallas, where the Cardinals are looking to snap their five-game losing streak.