Cardinals Lose Team Captain for Entire 2025 Season

The Arizona Cardinals move into the future without their top special teams play.

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals safety Joey Blount (32) against the Washington Commanders at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona Cardinals have lost a team captain for the 2025 season.

Safety Joey Blount is heading to injured reserve with a neck injury, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon. 

"Okay, on the injury front here, Joey Blount is going to go to IR. He'll be done for the year, and then we're battling a couple nicks and bruises, but we'll kind of evaluate as the week goes here."

Blount was injured during kickoff duty in Week 1's win against the New Orleans Saints. Rookie linebacker Cody Simon was also injured on the play, though no update was given to him. 

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"Captain too. That's tough - it's part of the game but it never gets easy," Gannon continued. "Some guys are gonna have to step up and assume his role. But I feel good about it. He played a lot, he wore a lot of hats on game day so we're gonna have to figure that out. But guys are ready to assume the role and step in and play well."

How Cardinals Move Forward

Blount appeared in 15 games for the Cardinals last season and played 70% of special teams snaps in Arizona. Though he's behind Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson on the defensive depth chart, he's also proven to be a reliable stopgap in the secondary when needed. 

One candidate to permanently replace Blount on special teams would be Greg Dortch, who made a clutch play in his absence on Sunday. 

"Dortch is out there because Joey Blount’s out. Joey Blount’s probably our best gunner and Dortch makes a play," Gannon said. 

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals safety Joey Blount (32) against the New England Patriots at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"It’s like good God, that goes unnoticed but like I asked the defense in there, I said, ‘The value of a yard is that real guys?’ That thing gets to the 30 or he pops that or whatever the case may be, but that’s what it takes to win games. It’s not just your premier players playing premier, which I thought our guys did. It’s the other guys that have a jersey on game day doing a really good job in their role. 

"Their roles are changing consistently, (and it’s them) understanding and making plays. I thought we did a good job of that yesterday. We really did.”

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Another role will have to be changed as the Cardinals prepare to host the Carolina Panthers in Week 2.