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BJ Ojulari

Cardinals Activate EDGE BJ Ojulari From PUP, Place LB Mack Wilson On IR

November 15th, 2025 at 5:27pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Cardinals activated edge rusher BJ Ojulari from the reserve/physically unable to perform list and placed linebacker Mack Wilson on injured reserve, per team reporter Darren Urban.

Ojulari, a 2023 second-round pick, is coming off a major knee injury suffered during training camp last year. He tore his ACL, LCL, and lateral meniscus; during rehab, he also dealt with a subluxation of his kneecap that required another procedure in June, according to ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss.

The 23-year-old started the 2025 season on the PUP list and was designated to return on October 28. He has only been a limited participant in practice, which might not be enough to take the field for Sunday’s matchup with the 49ers. Even if Ojulari does play, he would likely have a limited workload. That still could be a boost to a Cardinals pass rush that ranks among the bottom 10 defenses in sacks and quarterback hits, especially with Baron Browning sidelined this week by a concussion.

Ojulari appeared in every game as a rookie with a 37% snap share and recorded 40 tackles, five tackles for loss, and four sacks. His 8.1 pass rush productivity and 13.4% pass rush win rate ranked fourth among rookie edge rushers (min. 100 snaps), per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Though the Cardinals defense is adding Ojulari, they will be losing a key player in Wilson. He signed with the team in 2024 on a three-year, $12.75MM deal and immediately took over as a starting linebacker. He put together a solid stat line during his debut season in Arizona – 75 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, and five passes defended – but was on pace to crush those numbers this year. Though he has yet to record a sack, he racked up 60 tackles, three tackles for loss, and six passes defended through the first eight games of the season.

Instead of putting up his best production since his rookie year in 2019, Wilson will be on the shelf for at least four games. He suffered a rib injury against the Cowboys and missed last week’s game against the Seahawks. His earliest return would come in Week 15 against the Texans. Until then, fourth-round rookie Cody Simon will start alongside six-year veteran Akeem Davis-Gaither in the middle of the Cardinals defense.

The Cardinals made a few other roster moves to prepare for Sunday’s game, including the promotion of linebacker Jared Bartlett from the practice squad to the active roster. The undrafted rookie was elevated last week for special teams duties and linebacker depth with Wilson sidelined; he should take up the same role against the 49ers.

Cornerback Darren Hall and tight end Pharaoh Brown were elevated from the practice squad. Hall will contribute on special teams and potentially in the secondary with cornerback Will Johnson and safety Dadrion Tayler-Demerson ruled out. Brown, a 31-year-old journeyman, will make his 2025 debut playing for his sixth NFL team, primarily as a run blocker with some run on special teams, too.

Cardinals Opening Practice Windows For Garrett Williams, BJ Ojulari

October 28th, 2025 at 2:48pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Cardinals’ defense could welcome a pair of reinforcements in the coming weeks. Head coach Jonathan Gannon announced that the Cardinals opened cornerback Garrett Williams‘ 21-day practice window on Tuesday. Gannon added that the team will open outside linebacker BJ Ojulari‘s practice window on Thursday.

Now 2-5 after suffering five straight one-score losses, the Cardinals are coming off their bye and will face the Cowboys on Monday. While it’s unclear if Williams will be ready for that game, it would be ideal to have him back against a high-flying Cowboys attack.

Williams, who played both slot and outside corner early this season, was in on almost every Cardinals defensive snap before going on IR with a knee injury after Week 2. The Cardinals began 2-0 with Williams in the fold. The third-year man broke out last season with 58 tackles, nine passes defensed, and two interceptions over 16 games (11 starts). Pro Football Focus ranked Williams as the third-best corner in the NFL in 2024.

In Williams’ absence this season, the Cardinals have used safeties Jalen Thompson and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson in nickel situations. Second-round rookie Will Johnson has received increased playing time on the outside. The Cardinals’ defense has fared respectably without Williams. The unit ranks seventh in passer rating against and 13th in points per game allowed, and it should get even stronger once Williams rejoins the fray.

Arizona hasn’t gotten anything from Ojulari since 2023, his rookie season. The former second-rounder from LSU appeared in all 17 games in his first year and picked up 40 tackles and four sacks. He tore his ACL during the ensuing summer and hasn’t played since. Ojulari, who opened this season on the reserve/PUP list, will give the Cardinals extra pass-rushing depth at OLB behind Josh Sweat and Baron Browning if he’s healthy enough to return in the next three weeks. Sweat and Browning have combined for seven of the Cardinals’ 12 sacks.

Arizona also made a few minor moves on Tuesday, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. After the Cardinals released running back Michael Carter and cornerback Darren Hall on Monday, they re-signed the pair to their practice squad. At the same time, they released two receivers – Bryson Green and D’Ernest Johnson – and tight end Nick Muse from the P-squad.

Cardinals Trim Roster To 53

August 26th, 2025 at 9:01pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals announced the following roster moves to get down to their initial 53-man roster:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR (designated to return):

Placed on IR:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

First-round defensive tackle Nolen will miss at least the first four weeks of his rookie year. The Ole Miss product is dealing with a calf injury that forced him to miss most of training camp. Another d-lineman, Barrs will hit waivers but stands a good chance at landing on the practice squad if he clears.

The Cards made some surprise decisions in the running backs rooms, disposing of veterans like Carter and Dallas in favor of Zonovan Knight, who hasn’t appeared in a game since 2023. One of the veterans could end up back on the practice squad, as could wide receiver/special teamer Fehoko.

Russell suffered a concussion in training and will now miss the entire 2025 season on injured reserve. Jones and Conner, though, will be eligible to return after, at least, a four-week absence. The two linemen are dealing with knee injuries but may be able to bolster the line later in the year.

Brewer getting cut means the team does not have a long snapper on the roster. Likely, the team has a handshake deal with Brewer that will allow them to place some players on injured lists, opening a spot for him and others to return.

Cardinals’ Rookie DT Walter Nolen Likely Out For Remainder Of Camp

July 23rd, 2025 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals have officially opened training camp and already the team is getting bad news on the injury front. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, rookie first-round defensive tackle Walter Nolen suffered a calf injury that will knock him out for most, if not all, of training camp.

There are a few key points to this situation that make details very important. Rapoport reports that the injury occurred at the team facility, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter clarifies that Nolen was injured while getting ready for training camp, meaning he wasn’t participating in a team workout. Because of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, there are strict limitations on number of practice and rest days, daily time limits, and when practices can include equipment and contact.

The injury happening at the facility, with training camp having commenced, would in most cases be a clear-as-day football situation that would land Nolen on the active/physically unable to perform list. Schefter’s clarification, though, specifies that Nolen was reportedly training on his own in preparation for the start of camp. We’ve seen situations in the past where teams have argued about what constitutes a football activity, and with Nolen working out on his own, there’s a chance he may have been placed on the active/non-football injury list, on which he would not be entitled to receive his salary.

Instead, Nolen lands on the active/PUP list, per Rapoport, along with outside linebacker BJ Ojulari and defensive tackle Bilal Nichols. Ojulari is apparently still working his way back from a torn ACL he suffered a couple weeks into last year’s training camp, costing him the entire 2024 season. Nichols, at least, got to the regular season before suffering a season-ending stinger in mid-October.

Any of the three players will be able to come off the list by passing a physical. Nolen’s timetable for return, though, runs right up to the start of the regular season. He may be able to get better in time to play in Week 1, but most, if not all, of his rookie training camp will be spent recovering instead of getting adjusted to play at the NFL level. It’s an unfortunate development that may mean he has to ease his way into his rookie campaign, but it’s good news that there’s a chance he may not miss any games.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/24

August 5th, 2024 at 8:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: LB Mike Rose

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Waived: OL Jason Poe

Seattle Seahawks

Cardinals OLB BJ Ojulari Suffers Torn ACL

August 3rd, 2024 at 10:19am CST by Ben Levine

BJ Ojulari‘s second season in the NFL has ended before it even began. The linebacker suffered a torn ACL during practice on Friday, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. The injury will knock the sophomore out for the entire 2024 campaign.

According to Darren Urban of the team’s website, Ojulari suffered the injury during an 11-on-11 drill. Urban notes that the linebacker didn’t need to be carted off the field, although he did require assistance from two trainers.

This is a gut punch for a squad that was counting on Ojulari on the edge. The 2023 second-round pick didn’t start a game as a rookie, but he still managed to get into all 17 games for the Cardinals. He finished the year with 40 tackles and four sacks, appearing in more than a third of Arizona’s defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked him 65th among 112 qualifying edge defenders.

The Cardinals will now have to dig into OLB depth that was already light behind Ojulari and Zaven Collins. Dennis Gardeck is coming off a six-sack season in Arizona, but the veteran fell behind Ojulari on the depth chart in the second half of the 2023 campaign. Victor Dimukeje also contributed four sacks last year and could see an increase on his career-high 386 defensive snaps from 2023.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/23

August 7th, 2023 at 8:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OL LaColby Tucker
  • Activated from active/PUP list: DL Calais Campbell
  • Waived: DL Matthew Gotel

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Placed on IR: DT Devonnsha Maxwell

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Waived: OL Trevor Reid

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: LB Jordan Ferguson

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Streveler is currently dealing with an injury, ESPN’s Dianna Russini tweets. The Jets used Streveler as their top backup QB to close last season, inserting him into a Week 16 game ahead of Joe Flacco. Streveler stuck around via reserve/futures contract in January. But the Jets have since traded for Aaron Rodgers and signed Tim Boyle, marking a new era at quarterback. With Zach Wilson still around, the team does not appear to have any room — potentially even on the practice squad — for Streveler, who has played for the Jets and Cardinals in a three-year NFL career.

Apke has been with Washington since being chosen in the 2018 fourth round. He re-signed with the team in 2022 and stayed via reserve/futures contract in January. A shoulder injury, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, will move Apke to IR, which will end his chances of playing a sixth season with the Commanders this year. Kalu started five games for the Titans last season, playing 494 defensive snaps. Over his first three seasons, Kalu had never cleared the 100-snap barrier on defense.

Schoonmaker suffered a foot injury, a plantar fascia tear, during his final year at Michigan. The Cowboys’ top post-Dalton Schultz tight end investment will aim to make a push for a regular role to begin the season.

The Dolphins made Blackman part of their UDFA class this year. The former Florida State starter spent six years in college, finishing up with Arkansas State. The Dolphins swapped out Teddy Bridgewater for Mike White this offseason, but Skylar Thompson has made a push to be Tua Tagovailoa‘s backup. Regardless of that competition’s outcome, Blackman’s ceiling appeared to be practice squad QB in Miami. But the Dolphins may be looking into outside help for that developmental role — provided the team plans on stashing a fourth passer on its taxi squad.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/23

July 26th, 2023 at 9:07pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: WR Cody Chrest
  • Placed on NFI: OT Caleb Jones
  • Waived/injured: WR Jeff Cotton

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Among the additions on today’s list, defensive back A.J. Moore is the most notable. The defensive back spent four years with the Texans to begin his career, compiling 69 tackles in 55 games while primarily playing on special teams. The 27-year-old spent a chunk of last season on the Titans practice squad, and he ultimately got into one game with the big-league club.

Cardinals Sign Round 2 OLB BJ Ojulari, Conclude Rookie Signings

July 24th, 2023 at 10:24pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals are the latest team to conclude the signing of their 2023 NFL Draft class with the signing of a second-round pick. Cardinals staff writer Darren Urban announced that the team had signed LSU defensive end BJ Ojulari today, wrapping up Arizona’s rookie signings.

The second-round trend is notable after an early signing saw the Panthers deliver three years of guarantees to rookie wide receiver Jonathan Mingo. Since then, we’ve seen a number of second-round picks sign similarly impressive deals, pointing to a potential permanent shift in the value of second-round deals.

Ojulari and fifth-round pick Owen Pappoe should factor immediately into a relatively thin linebacking corps. With Zaven Collins shifting to defensive end and Isaiah Simmons officially making the move to defensive back, the talent at linebacker is suddenly lacking in a major way. Former safety Kyzir White is set to return to the full-time starting role he held when he was a Charger after a rotational year in Philadelphia. Around White, the outside linebacker jobs are open for competition between Ojulari, Pappoe, and veteran backup Dennis Gardeck.

At only 6-foot-2, Ojulari lacks the ideal length of an outside linebacker in the NFL. He can rush standing up or with his hand in the ground, and for him, finding the backfield is a regular occurrence. What he lacks in size and ability, he makes up for in spirit. Praised by many as a high-character guy, he’ll be a strong culture fit for a Cardinals team that may be struggling to find wins early. He also offers an unrelenting effort that commonly sees him making plays on the other side of the field or even downfield. In some schemes and on some teams, Ojulari might need to sit and develop a bit, but in Arizona, he should have every opportunity to earn his way onto the field early and often.

Without Kliff Kingsbury, DeAndre Hopkins, or, perhaps, Kyler Murray (to start the year), the 2023 Cardinals are set to look a bit different. Here’s the full draft class that will join Arizona in a new look:

Round 1, No. 6 (from Rams through Lions): Paris Johnson, OT (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 41 (from Titans): BJ Ojulari, DE (LSU) (signed)
Round 3, No. 72 (from Titans): Garrett Williams, CB (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 94 (from Eagles): Michael Wilson, WR (Stanford) (signed)
Round 4, No. 122 (from Dolphins through Chiefs and Lions): Jon Gaines II, G (UCLA) (signed)
Round 5, No. 139 (from Broncos through Lions): Clayton Tune, QB (Houston) (signed)
Round 5, No. 168 (from Cardinals through Lions): Owen Pappoe, LB (Auburn) (signed)
Round 5, No. 180: Kei’Trel Clark, CB (Louisville) (signed)
Round 6, No. 213: Dante Stills, DT (West Virginia) (signed)