The Arizona Cardinals are halfway through preseason play, and the biggest questions in the desert are starting to sort themselves out. Under Mike LaFleur, there’s already a clearer sense of direction than you might expect from a first-year coach, but not every situation is settling cleanly.
LaFleur has drawn praise from players for his command and attention to detail during his first preseason. Yes, mistakes have happened, and the real test still hasn’t arrived, but the early returns have been encouraging. The offense has shown promise, the locker room appears to be responding, and for now that’s about all the Cardinals can ask from their new head coach.
The same can’t be said for every player situation, though not every concern should trigger full-blown alarm.
Take quarterback Beck. His ribs injury in the Hall of Fame Game caught people off guard, especially since it reportedly happened earlier in the action before he finished the game.
There were no signs of trouble afterward, and he practiced fully the following week before being ruled out just hours before last Thursday’s game against the Raiders. Since then, he hasn’t thrown in practice and is already essentially out for Saturday’s meeting with the Cowboys.
The Cardinals have downplayed the injury in public, and the team says everything will be fine. That’s enough to keep the panic level low, especially with the sense that Arizona is simply protecting a rookie who turned in an impressive outing.
Trey Benson’s situation, on the other hand, feels much more serious from a roster standpoint. His meniscus recovery has kept him limited throughout camp and preseason, and lately he’s been absent altogether.
He’s unlikely to play in either of Arizona’s final two games, and his grip on a roster spot is slipping. A move to the PUP list could buy time if the Cardinals need to delay a decision, but the bigger issue is that Benson doesn’t appear close to healthy.
Bam Knight is already ahead of him in the running back pecking order, and a trade or cut seems to be looming once Benson is available.
Then there’s Josh Sweat, who has been one of the biggest offseason storylines after his reported trade request months ago. The noise around that has cooled, but his absence from practice remains a concern with the regular season approaching.
Sweat opened camp on PUP with a knee injury, and LaFleur has continued to indicate he should be ready to begin 2026. The worry around him isn’t necessarily about unrest or a looming breakup.
The Cardinals, as they understand it, are protecting his knee while Sweat works out on his own and takes part in team meetings.
The real question is whether that’s enough for him to be ready for Week 1. Conditioning on the side is one thing; full-speed practice and NFL game action are another.
With only two weeks left, Arizona has to hope Sweat can ramp up quickly and handle a full workload. If he’s limited or looks out of sync with the rest of the top players, the questions around him are only going to get louder.
In Other News...
Cardinals Face Early Tip Reiman Decision They Didn't Want
Tip Reimans return has already become one of the first personnel questions hanging over Cardinals training camp, even before the pads come on for real. The second-year tight end is still working back from the severe ankle injury he suffered in October last season, and he opened camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list as Arizona begins sorting out its tight end room and the rest of the offense.
Mike LaFleur made it clear the team is not assuming Reiman will be ready for the opener, which puts the Cardinals in an uncomfortable early call on his PUP status. If he stays there, he would have to sit out the first four games, a tough outcome for a player LaFleur praised for his work ethic and for what he brings to the run game. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Lose A Key Rookie As Injury Questions Start Piling Up
The Cardinals had already been dealing with a growing list of injury concerns, and the latest roster moves only sharpened the issue. Arizona placed second-round draft pick Chase Bisontis on injured reserve, ending his season before it really got going, while tight end Jameson Geers and linebacker Austin Keys also landed on IR as the team continued to sort through its depth chart.
Arizona tried to refill some of those openings by signing tight end Baylor Cupp, running back Tre Stewart and defensive tackle Keveionta Spears. The transaction churn is part of the reality this time of year, but losing a rookie investment like Bisontis so early gives the Cardinals another long-term question to juggle as the injuries keep stacking up. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Rookie Safety Faces A Roster Fight Unlike Any Other
Rookie safety Wydett Williams Jr. has already managed to get on the field for Arizona in preseason action, but his path into the Cardinals plans is tied to a legal situation that is anything but ordinary. A temporary restraining order has allowed him to keep the door open to another NCAA season even after signing with Arizona, creating a rare overlap between pro football and college eligibility.
For the Cardinals, the football part of the equation is still the one that matters most in camp. Williams is not currently projected to make the 53-man roster, and his next step could depend on whether he lands on the practice squad or ends up looking back toward college football instead. The NCAA could still appeal the ruling, leaving his future as unsettled off the field as it is on it. [Read more 🡒]