Walter Nolen III arrived in Arizona with real expectations, the kind that come with being viewed as a difference-maker up front. After an injury-hit rookie year that still managed to give Cardinals fans a glimpse of what he can become, Nolen entered 2026 as a player many believed could anchor the defense for years.
That hasn’t shown up on the stat sheet yet.
Through the early part of the season, Nolen has yet to record a sack and has only four tackles. He has drawn double teams and attention along the defensive line, but the production Cardinals fans were hoping for has not followed. That slow start has also come at a time when Arizona’s pass rush has been uneven overall.
Still, Cardinals coach LaFleur isn’t sounding alarm bells.
“Yes, he just needs to keep going at it. I love Walt and he wants it really, really, really bad. And that's what I respect," said LaFleur.
He expanded on that point by stressing that effort and intent are not the issue.
"I look at people's intentions, and I know his intentions are that he wants to help this team and he wants to be productive. He just needs to keep going.
Like I told him today, I said, 'You know how many people sack (49ers QB) Brock Purdy this year? Zero.
So you and countless others have yet to get to him.' That's a credit to (49ers Head Coach) Kyle (Shanahan) and that's a credit to their players.
"With that being said, we have a high standard, and we need to find ways to not worry about what other teams haven't done, and we have to do it.”
Nolen has been outspoken about the role he believes he plays on that side of the ball. Earlier this season, he said, "I feel like I'm the heartbeat of the defense.
A lot of times, I feel like when I'm on the field, things move a little bit differently. So as long as I'm out there, I feel like we're gonna kick ass," he said.
So far, that kind of impact hasn’t materialized. Nolen’s second-season leap was supposed to be essential if Arizona’s defense was going to move forward, and he’s not the only key name off to a quiet start. Budda Baker and Josh Sweat have also had less than impressive outings.
LaFleur said the answer won’t come from one player carrying everything alone. Arizona needs more from the group around Nolen if the pass rush is going to take shape.
“Like I just kind of said to Walt, but I'd say to all the other guys, 'Hey, just keep going.' It was one game where we didn't get to them," LaFleur said when asked what the front needs to do to impact the quarterback.
He pointed to different games and different circumstances, saying the defense has not always been put in a position to attack freely.
"I thought that in the first game, we rushed the passer pretty well. Unfortunately, versus Seattle we never had the lead.
It's tougher to get to the quarterback in some of those. It wasn't like they were scatting all five guys out and they were just in five-man protection.
They were loading it up, I'm talking (about) Seattle, (with) keepers, play pass and all that where they're in more max protection (and it was) a little harder to get there. We didn't do our job on offense to allow them to pin their ears back and go.
"Last week, again we kind of buried ourselves a little bit. I thought there were opportunities (with) the way that San Francisco does their offense that we need to affect them a little bit more.
We didn't, so here we are going into Week 4. (We'll) put together the best plan.
Let's go practice, let's go detail it up, and then let's get after it on Sunday.”
In Other News...
Cardinals Just Sent A Clear Message On Marvin Harrison Jr
The early chatter around Marvin Harrison Jr. has not changed Arizonas thinking, at least for now. Despite a slow start to the 2026 season and some trade speculation beginning to swirl, the Cardinals reportedly are not interested in moving the young receiver and continue to view him as part of the roster they want to build around.
ESPNs Dan Graziano reported that Arizona has already made other offensive investments, which helps explain why Harrison is not being treated like a player on the block. The stance could evolve later, but the current plan is for Harrison to stay in Arizona, giving the Cardinals a chance to let the situation settle before anything more dramatic enters the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Have A Bigger Pass Rush Concern Before Giants
The Cardinals head into their Week 4 matchup with the Giants already managing a thin margin on defense, with safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson ruled out because of a back injury and edge rusher Josh Sweat listed as questionable with a groin issue. New York, by contrast, enters the game without any players on its injury report, which only sharpens the pressure on Arizona to clean up a pass rush that has been part of the conversation all week.
Coach Mike LaFleur has already pointed to the recent struggles up front and said the team has spent its prep time trying to get sharper for Sunday. For a Cardinals defense trying to create more disruption, Sweats status looms large because the difference between a manageable rotation and a real concern can show up quickly when a game plan hinges on getting to the quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Quarterback Plan Leaves One Big Cardinals Question Unanswered
The Giants are heading into their matchup with the Cardinals with a clear answer at one of the most important spots on the field, as veteran Jameis Winston is set to start while the offense continues to bring J.J. McCarthy along. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said McCarthy still needs more time to learn the system before he can be trusted in a meaningful game, leaving New York to lean on a familiar hand as it prepares for Arizona.
For the Cardinals, the bigger issue may be how much uncertainty still hangs over the Giants quarterback room beyond Winston. McCarthys status for the game remains unclear, and Jake Haener is expected to serve as the primary backup, which leaves Arizona waiting to see exactly what kind of depth chart it will be dealing with by kickoff. [Read more 🡒]