Arizona Cardinals Give Encouraging Update on Scary LB Injury

The Arizona Cardinals saw a scary collision end practice early yesterday.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon speaks to the media during training camp at State Farm Stadium on July 23, 2025. | Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon gave an encouraging update on linebacker JJ Russell ahead of Friday's practice.

Russell - who collided with safety Kitan Crawford during Thursday's practice - immediately went down on the field and was eventually carted off via stretcher.

Gannon spoke to reporters ahead of Friday's training camp practice and offered the following.

Arizona Cardinals Give Encouraging Update on LB JJ Russell

"He's good, yeah, he's going to be in concussion protocol, so [we'll] let that do its work but it was good to see that he's okay," said Gannon.

"I thought that Drew Krueger [Cardinals head athletic trainer] and his staff, being on the field with that type of injury, the precautions you got to take, and taking emotion out of it, and making sure that he's safe, I thought they did a really good job. I told him that - that was pretty much clinic, because you get a pit in your stomach when you see that, obviously. But they did a really good job. But He's okay. He's in good spirits. He's back in the building. It's all good."

Russell was signed from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past offseason and was projected to compete for a special teams role in camp.

The Cardinals posted the following message yesterday shortly after practice:

"JJ Russell is being evaluated for a head & neck injury suffered in this afternoon's practice. He was alert on the field & had movement in all his extremities. He has been taken to a local hospital for further testing & continued evaluation."

Veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell added, "You never want to see that. It sucks. Hopefully everything's okay - we'll see as the process goes through how everything works out but I was happy to see him move around and stuff. It sucks - but it's one of those things that happens in football.

"I've been carted off before and everything was fine - so I'm just praying that's what's fine with him."

It looks as if Russell should be just fine, which is extremely encouraging.