Walter Nolen III's Outlook For Cardinals-Cowboys is Concerning

The Arizona Cardinals again didn't see him practice.

Oct 11, 2026; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Walter Nolen III (97) against the Detroit Lions at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals, for a second straight day, did not see defensive lineman Walter Nolen III practice.

Nolen missed Arizona's Week 7 matchup against the Denver Broncos with an ankle injury and is now on track to suffer a similar fate for Week 8's road test against the Dallas Cowboys barring a strong turnaround in the next 48 hours.

The Cardinals' defense is much different when Nolen is healthy and in the lineup, as his ability to disrupt both the run and pass is crucial for Arizona to control the line of scrimmage. The former first-round pick, unfortunately, continues to deal with injuries early in his career.

With a loaded Cowboys offense playing host to Arizona on Sunday, the Cardinals' chances of slowing them down could take a turn.

“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.”

The Cardinals will rely on Roy Lopez and Darius Robinson to step up if Nolen can't go. Both players have had respectively nice 2026 campaigns. Dante Stills likely gets the nod inside while Andrew Billings could find himself active.