The Arizona Cardinals’ defensive front may be heading into Sunday short-handed again.
Walter Nolen III did not practice for a second straight day, and that puts his availability for Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys in serious doubt. Nolen sat out Arizona’s Week 7 game against the Denver Broncos because of an ankle injury, and unless he makes a major jump in the next 48 hours, the Cardinals appear likely to face Dallas without him.
That would be a tough blow for a defense that looks noticeably different when Nolen is on the field. His presence matters because he can affect both the run game and the passing game, and that kind of interior disruption is a big part of Arizona’s ability to control the line of scrimmage. The problem for the Cardinals is that injuries have already followed the former first-round pick early in his career.
And now the timing gets even trickier. Dallas is bringing a loaded offense into Sunday’s matchup, which only raises the stakes if Arizona is forced to go without one of its top defensive linemen.
“They have a lot of talent, I know that," Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said of Dallas' offense.
"I’ve always had a lot of respect for Dak. I’ve had a lot of respect for ‘Schotty’ (Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer) - he’s as good a human in this league as there is.
You know they’re always going to be a talent-filled team. It’s always fun to go into that stadium (AT&T Stadium) and play those guys for obvious reasons.
We have our hands full like you do every week but yes, these guys are talented.”
If Nolen can’t go, Arizona’s interior workload likely shifts to Roy Lopez and Darius Robinson, both of whom have put together nice 2026 campaigns. Dante Stills is expected to get the nod inside as well, while Andrew Billings could be active.
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