The Arizona Cardinals have been short one offensive lineman since Chase Bisontis went down in the preseason with a torn MCL, but they still haven’t brought in anyone new. That has left a simple question hanging out there: why not?
The answer, at least for now, seems to be that the Cardinals already have enough bodies to handle the spot they’re most worried about.
Isaiah Adams is still holding onto the starting right guard job, and if he stays healthy, he’s expected to open Week 1 in that role. That makes any outside addition more about depth than an immediate replacement, and if Arizona does go shopping, it would likely be for someone off the street who can clearly top what’s already in the building.
That’s where the Cardinals’ current options come into play. Matt Pryor and Oli Udoh both bring real starting experience at right guard.
Pryor has 40 career starts and made 15 starts at right guard for the Chicago Bears in 2024. Udoh has 22 career starts, including 16 in 2021 when he was Minnesota’s starting right guard.
Arizona also has second-year guard/center Hayden Conner in the mix.
There are some questions around Adams after his arrest in Canada before training camp, but the Cardinals don’t seem worried about that situation at the moment, and he may not have had anything to do with it.
So if the Cardinals are going to add someone, it would probably be for backup flexibility rather than a starting job. Pryor and Udoh can both play guard and tackle, while Conner can handle guard and center. That leaves the team weighing a simple issue: is there anyone available who would come in on backup money and be a backup?
For now, the likeliest path to more help on the line may come after final cuts, when waiver claims and fresh signings start to reshape the market.
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