Three Immediate Takeaways After Cardinals Officially Place Will Johnson on Injured Reserve

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals have officially lost Will Johnson to injured reserve.

Johnson was placed on the list with a neck injury that's likely to keep him out for the entirety of the 2026 season. Arizona, only two games into the regular season schedule, suffers a big loss on the defensive side of the ball.

Johnson was hoping to emerge in his second season after a rookie campaign showed some signs of improvement for the Michigan product. The Cardinals haven't had a true shutdown corner since Patrick Peterson, and Johnson had the size and tools to potentially fill those shoes.

Now, it'd be a surprise if Arizona sees Johnson on the field at any point in 2026.

Three immediate takeaways:

The Pass Rush Has to Improve

The best way to help a beat-up secondary is to get after the passer, and that's not quite something the Cardinals have been able to do at a high level under defensive coordinator Nick Rallis.

Now, with their top boundary corner out, Arizona getting to the quarterback more feels more mandatory as opposed to optional.

With an improved pass rush, the Cardinals would massively alleviate pressure from Arizona's secondary. Less time to throw means quicker decisions and easier reads for Cardinals defensive backs.

The front seven could really make life easier for that depleted cornerback room if they're able to step up.

Starling Thomas, Others Have Confidence From Cardinals

Thomas has played some solid football for the Cardinals since arriving a few seasons ago. He was set to be the team's starting corner in 2025 before a training camp ACL injury derailed that hope. Thomas eventually rebounded and recovered in time for 2026's iteration of camp, though it was clear he still needed more reps.

Thomas was cut and eventually re-signed to the practice squad. Now, he joins a Cardinals CB room that also features Max Melton, Kei'Trel Clark, Garrett Williams and Denzel Burke — all of whom have experience playing under Rallis.

That continuity and familiarity with the system can help, especially at a position such as cornerback.

Losing Johnson isn't ideal, and while there's some outside options, the Cardinals undoubtedly are confident in other guys in the room stepping up.

People Online Need to Cut Johnson Some Slack

The injury was unfortunate for Johnson, and there's unfortunately been some frustration from Cardinals fans who have slammed the former second-round pick for the injury.

Johnson slid in the NFL draft due to long-term concerns around his knee, so it's been a bit odd to see people slam him for "always being hurt" when Johnson obviously suffered a serious enough neck injury to keep him out for the rest of the season.

He also played 12 games last season after a handful of random injuries and still made PFWA All-Rookie honors.

The injuries are obviously unfortunate, though it's not as if Johnson is suffering from recurring injuries. Even if he were, that's not something player or team can control. Injuries are a downside to the game, and while it's frustrating for everybody involved, lashing out at Johnson isn't the solution.

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