Cardinals' key veteran likely to play vs Seahawks after it was uncertain he'd play again in 2024
The Arizona Cardinals (6-4) are heading into one the biggest games of the year in Week 12. While the team is currently leading the NFC West, a loss to the Seattle Seahawks (5-5) would temporarily take it out of the playoff picture and officially make it an uphill climb to get back into the postseason […]
The Arizona Cardinals (6-4) are heading into one the biggest games of the year in Week 12. While the team is currently leading the NFC West, a loss to the Seattle Seahawks (5-5) would temporarily take it out of the playoff picture and officially make it an uphill climb to get back into the postseason race.
So it's easy to see why the latest injury update on veteran left tackle Jonah Williams is a crucial one. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Williams is likely to play on Sunday after battling back from a knee injury that's kept him on injured reserve since he left the season opener against the Buffalo Bills early.
If Williams plays, which is sounds like he will, then it'll really help the Cardinals contain a Seahawks pass rush that is already below-average to begin with. Seattle averages 2.3 sacks per game, which is tied for 20th out of the 32 teams and it's 6.63% sack rate is 21st.
He was placed on injured reserve back on September 11 and when asked about a timetable for his return, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon didn't offer much insight and his answer even cast some doubt on if Williams would play again in 2024.
“We’ll see. [They're] hypotheticals, I don’t know,” Gannon told reporters.
A lot of coaches don't like to put timelines on injuries because it puts "unfair pressure" on the player, which makes sense. However, his answer was a bit more cryptic than most, especially when he could've just said what was written out in the last sentence. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler also reported Williams could return in November, but that was "uncertain" at the time.
Either way, the Cardinals should have their starting left tackle on the field against the Seahawks. Williams signed a two-year deal back in March in an attempt to further his starting career after five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The one question that does still remain, however, is just how much he actually plays. Especially since Kelvin Beachum has been playing pretty well in his stead as of late.
