Cardinals outside linebacker Markus Golden couldn’t help but be ecstatic when he saw Chris Banjo in the locker room Thursday morning.
The words came flying from the always enthusiastic Golden’ mouth Friday as he was approached for an interview. As soon as the second word (“personality”) of a question that didn’t get past those two words was mentioned, Golden said, “Oh, man, it’s awesome, man. That’s what I told him when I saw him. I had to give him a hug, tell him I was happy to see him. Banjo’s one of those dudes you love to have around. Great leader, too.”
That’s what defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Thursday when asked about the addition of Banjo to the practice squad.
“He’s a leader of our defense,” Joseph said. “He’s a guy that’s a good mentor for our young guys. And he’s always a guy who you can trust to play the game and that can help you win.”
The safety and special-teams standout made an impact in many ways for three seasons with the Cardinals, but less than three weeks after turning 32 in late February, he became an unrestricted free agent.
That was more than six months ago. Even though there weren’t teams lined up at his door to sign him, the always upbeat Banjo said he had “fun being able to hang out” with his family, while still being optimistic that his phone would ring at some point.
“To be honest, I felt like I was going to get a call,” he said. “I just didn’t know when or who. I know the NFL is a long season and you gotta be patient. So I just did my part and control whatever I could control and let the chips fall wherever they may.”
When the Cardinals decided to waive safety Deionte Thompson on Tuesday, Banjo was summoned for a visit that he thought would include a tryout. Of course, not only do the coaches know him well, but he arrived in obviously top shape.
Admitting he was “kinda surprised” there was no tryout, he added, “I was ready for whatever was presented and make the most of it.”
It wasn’t long after the Wednesday visit that he agreed to join the practice squad.
“He’s one of those guys that loves to work, loves the grind,” Golden said. “Whether he’s playing or not, he’s grinding. He was on his Instagram showing a little bit. I follow him on Instagram so I saw him always working.”
In his first two days with the team this week, Banjo was holding court in the locker room, showing the personality to veterans and younger players that everyone respects.
“He has interactions with everybody,” sixth-year safety Budda Baker said of Banjo. “That’s what he does. He can talk to anybody on the team and they can have conversations about anything and so he’s a guy that I’m happy to have back in the DB room and a guy that I can confide in as well to help me out with things.
“Great leader, great man. A lot of guys on this team would love to be a guy like Chris Banjo. He’s a very lovable guy. A guy who comes into work and does his best each and every week and a guy who can also mentor you, whether that’s football things or outside of football things. He’s just a true wholesome guy. I love that guy and I’m glad that he’s back.”
Asked the impact of what he does as a leader and mentor, Banjo said, “I think that’s huge in terms of keeping a culture going, always trying to evolve a culture, trying to help a culture grow. And that’s toward winning, whether that’s getting everybody on the same page; trying to lead by example with communication. I think that stuff is infectious and contagious.”
Golden, one of the team’s older players who turned 31 only 15 days after Banjo reached 32, echoed Baker’s words.
“Great mentor. He’s such a great leader,” Golden said. “When I first got here coming back from New York (in 2020), it felt like I knew him already. That’s just the type of guy he is. He treated everybody like you met him before. He’s a different type of dude. He’s a special guy, a real special guy.
“A lot of people say people are special dudes, but Banjo’s a special dude, man. He is one of those dudes that you’re gonna look up to and he’s gonna have your back no matter what. If you’re on his team, he’s got your back. It’s awesome just to have a great guy like him back on the team.”
Rookie cornerback Christian Matthew has experienced that in a very short time. Two days, in fact, “literally,” Matthew said. “We’re both Chris’s, so it was easy to connect.”
He added, “He definitely is a leader and a mentor. Does everything right. Always communicating. Just a professional; a consummate pro every day. He’s just a good guy naturally. You don’t come upon people like that too often, so for him to be a good dude, a good player, good mentor, that’s just great for the locker room.”
It’s difficult to imagine Banjo not being signed to the roster or elevated from the practice squad for Sunday’s game in Carolina, especially with there being only two safeties on the roster and missing special-teams standout Ezekiel Turner, who will miss his second straight game because of an ankle injury.
Friday, Banjo claimed not to know the team’s plans for this week and said, “We’ll see. I’m going to take everything a day at a time. Control what I can and let God do the rest. Whatever I’m asked to do, I’m ready to do. I got to make the most of my opportunity and try to help us win when called upon.”
Cardinals injury updates
Wide receiver Marquise Brown was added to the injury report Friday with a foot injury. He was limited and listed as questionable. Also questionable are center Rodney Hudson (knee), defensive end J.J. Watt (calf/upgraded from DNP to limited), linebacker Zaven Collins (shoulder), wide receiver Rondale Moore (hamstring) and kicker Matt Prater (right hip). If the Cardinals don’t a add kicker to the practice squad, it’s clear Prater will play.
Guard Justin Pugh (elbow), running back James Conner (knee) and wide receiver Greg Dortch (back) were upgraded from limited to full and have no status listed.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury said Watt “was feeling better today, so hopefully he can go on Sunday. See how he feels throughout the weekend, but I’m hopeful.”
Kingsbury said of Moore, “He’s moving around better. The same deal (as Watt); we’ll get him out Sunday, run him around early, but he’s definitely progressed well this week. We just want to make sure when he’s out running around pregame that he feels 100 percent and can go. It’s a really good defense and we want to make sure that he’s at his best when he’s out there.”
As for Pugh, who had no status on the report, Kingsbury said, “He’s doing better. He’s a guy that knows the system so if he practices or even walks through on Saturday, we feel good about him going.”
Asked the difficulty of preparing for a game not knowing the availability of some players, Kingsbury said, “You got to be ready for anything. You’d like to have that consistency to build the time on task together, but that’s not how it’s gone so far, really through training camp and the first few weeks. Hopefully, we can get a bunch of guys back healthy next week and continue to progress as a team.”
One of those is wide receiver Antoine Wesley, who is eligible to be activated from reserve/injured next week. Asked if he will be ready to play, Wesley said, “That’s the plan.”
With nose tackle Rashard Lawrence out this week after undergoing hand surgery, Kingsbury said, “Next week is to be determined. I think that may be pushing it. So we’ll see how he feels next week, but we have to let the wound heal and then go far from there.”
Kingsbury is also hopeful of having Turner back next week.
Panthers injury report
Running back Christian McCaffrey was limited Friday because of a thigh injury after not practicing Wednesday and Thursday and is listed as questionable. Coach Matt Rhule said he is “very hopeful” that McCaffrey will play.
Also questionable are wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (hamstring) and defensive end Marquis Haynes (knee), who both were upgraded from DNP to limited Friday, and cornerback Stantley Thomas-Oliver (Achilles). Linebacker Frankie Luvu (no status/shoulder) was upgraded from limited to full, while cornerback Donte Jackson (no status/ankle) was added to the report and was limited.
