Walter Nolen Notches First NFL TD After Wild Cardinals vs Jaguars Play

The Arizona Cardinals' rookie defensive lineman scored his first NFL touchdown in quite the fashion.

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Walter Nolen III (97) returns a fumble for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

GLENDALE -- In Walter Nolen's fourth NFL game, he managed to score quite the impressive touchdown to level things at 7-7 between the Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars.

In the first quarter, Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence was hit while dropping back to pass by Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson - popping the ball loose.

The ball fell to Nolen, who was still being blocked. He caught it with one arm and trucked his way to the end zone.

CARDINALS STRIP SACK AND A TD FOR ROOKIE WALTER NOLEN

JAXvsAZ on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/8P1Bo1COCH

— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025

Though the play counts as a strip-sack and not an interception, many are calling the play a "thick six" on social media.

However you slice it - what a way for Nolen to find the end zone.

Walter Nolen's Impressive Rookie Season

Nolen, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, missed the first half of the regular season with a calf injury.

Yet in his debut after the Cardinals' bye week, he's been extremely impressive - which was a major talking point for head coach Jonathan Gannon this week:

On DL Walter Nolen III’s impact on the defense through his first three games:

“Disruptive. I think (in) the run and pass game he's doing a good job. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes, which just being a couple games in here (and) with the time that he missed, it's kind of the first thing I look for. But schematically (he) executes at a pretty high level and he is disruptive.”

On whether he can see growth from Nolen III through three games:

“Yeah, I think how I would deem his point of attacks or his one-on-ones, he's winning a healthy dose – which is good to see.”

On what it says about Nolen III that he seldom makes mistakes:

“’Debo’s (DL Coach Winston DeLattiboudere III) done a good job with him. He put time in the task. I always think you have to be able to take a positive in any situation, right? Obviously, he got hurt and he is not playing — that's a negative, but the positive of that is you have to study, focus and visualize the time extra with him because he wasn't playing so when they break meetings or after practice or whatever it is. He's on the details right now and he's only going to continue to get better.”

Nolen entered this week with seven tackles, one sack, one pass defensed and three run stuffs.