Cardinals suffer a brutal blow to top-50 NFL Draft pick that could have a massive impact on 2026 season
It’s a brutal blow for the Arizona Cardinals who made a major investment in the offense for new head coach Mike LaFleur.
The Arizona Cardinals are entering a new era of the franchise with new head coach Mike LaFleur. The longtime offensive assistant was most recently the offensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams, meaning a shift to the Sean McVay style of offense.
It’s a smart path for the Cardinals to make that pivot after the majority of the last decade using a heavy Air-Raid inspired approach on offense. After the NFL Draft made the offense a focus, their first preseason game dealt them some rough news.
First-round pick Chase Bisontis suffered serious knee injury
The first preseason game of the 2026 season for the Cardinals had them against the Las Vegas Raiders, a game they won 27-14. Unfortunately, a win wasn’t the only thing they came away from Las Vegas with.
Second-round pick guard Chase Bisontis suffered a knee injury on Thursday night, and while it initially wasn’t expected to be serious, it could cost him the season. He suffered a serious MCL injury that will require surgery, and he will miss significant time, possibly the entire season.
The good news for Bisontis is that only the MCL requires repair, meaning the rest of the knee is stabilized. Depending on the sevarity of the tear will likely determine how long Bisontis is out for.
He was competing for a starting spot on the offensive line, and losing him will significantly harm their depth. The hope here is Bisontis will heal completely and won’t have any long-term impact on the joint itself.
Tough blow for the Cardinals.
