The Arizona Cardinals were on the wrong end of a brutal loss to the New York Giants on Sunday, falling 36-24 at MetLife Stadium. It was not the only blow Arizona sustained in those 60 minutes of ugly football.
Toward the end of that disappointing contest, left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. went down with an injury. He remained in the game for a few plays, but eventually exited ahead of the very last play of the game — a 4th & goal throw that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown to seal it for the Giants. He was replaced by rookie OL Jayden Williams.
On Monday, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur delivered bad news. When asked of Johnson’s status, followed by a question regarding Williams’ performance in relief, LaFleur deferred to the latter query first. Then, he announced that Johnson would miss the remainder of 2026 with a torn biceps — a brutal blow to an Arizona offensive line unit that already lacks significant depth.
Cardinals lose Paris Johnson Jr. for season
Losing Johnson is more than simply a blow to the field, though it does certainly lower the level of offensive line play by a significant margin. He has had some trouble with injury, missing eight combined games at the latter portions of 2024 and 2025. He played all 17 in 2023, his rookie year.
Johnson, who is in the penultimate year of his rookie deal and expected to play on his fifth-year option in 2027, has been seeking a new contract. A significant injury could affect that deal’s timeline.
“I feel for him, obviously,” said LaFleur. “It sucks for him, first and foremost. It sucks, obviously, for the Arizona Cardinals, our offense, this team. But, you know, NFL football, here we are in October. The show goes on.”
LaFleur said he did not know when Johnson would be undergoing surgery to repair his biceps, but said it is likely to happen “soon.”
Arizona’s head coach also spoke highly of Williams, who is projected to start going forward in Johnson’s absence.
“I’m really, really impressed with Jayden,” LaFleur said. “He’s wise beyond his years. He obviously played big-time college football, so we’ve got a lot of confidence in him. Obviously, he’s been doing some stuff in the 13-personnel game. When we go the two tight ends plus him, and he’s not limited to just the run game, he can actually do some stuff.”
Arizona also sustained an injury to their interior, as right guard Isaiah Adams left on a cart with an ankle injury. His exact status is not clear, but LaFleur said he is “most likely” out this coming week against the Detroit Lions at home.
And so, the Cardinals’ projected starting offensive line looks like this, barring a late addition or elevation:
- LT Jayden Williams (R)
- LG Isaac Seumalo
- C Hjalte Froholdt
- RG Jon Gaines
- RT Elijah Wilkinson
To put the blame of a rough offensive performance on the offensive line is not entirely honest, though that did play a factor in Sunday’s loss. Jacoby Brissett was under a significant amount of pressure and delivered a poor game. He completed just 21 of 35 passes for 166, two touchdowns and three interceptions, including the game-ender. He was sacked twice and hit seven times by the Giants defense.
Arizona did run the ball relatively well with 123 yards on the ground, but managed only 270 total yards of offense. After two strong touchdown drives to open the game, the Cardinals had difficulty moving the ball without turning it over. Their defense allowed 319 yards of offense, squandering three turnovers by allowing New York backup QB Jameis Winston to find the end zone three times.
Despite that, there is no quarterback change on the horizon, LaFleur said. He added Arizona is not going to make large-scale changes to their process.
“We got to be better. And it starts with me in terms of the schematics, giving them a better advantage. Give them, like I said, better clarity,” said LaFleur.
“We were 12 feet away. And I think if we could have got that ball in there, like I know we can, we’re probably not even having a lot of these questions that I’m having to answer, which I respect all the questions. With that being said, it’s not going to change our process.”
The Cardinals will have to move forward offensively without a cornerstone piece in Johnson. Any improvements or changes will have to come with a more limited personnel group than they had going into Sunday’s game.
Welcome to the NFL, where the Cardinals have continuously struggled to keep pace.
