Cardinals Place LT Paris Johnson On IR
With two weeks left in their season, the 3-12 Cardinals are shutting down their best offensive lineman for the rest of 2025. The team placed left tackle Paris Johnson on IR on Saturday.
Johnson suffered a sprained PCL in Week 14, the last time he took the field this season. He started in all 12 appearances and played every offensive snap before his injury. Pro Football Focus ranks his performance 21st among 82 qualifying offensive tackles.
Johnson originally joined the Cardinals as the sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft. The former Ohio State Buckeye was Monti Ossenfort‘s first selection as Arizona’s general manager. Johnson, who began as a right tackle with the Cardinals before shifting to the left side in 2024, has started in 43 straight games since entering the NFL.
It’s up in the air whether Ossenfort will keep his job in 2026. Either Ossenfort or a different GM will have to make a key decision on Johnson’s future in the offseason. The Cardinals will choose whether to pick up Johnson’s fifth-year option, which should check in around $19.95MM, for 2027. The 24-year-old will also be eligible for a contract extension after the season. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Cardinals attempt to retain him for the long haul.
Along with placing Johnson on IR, the Cardinals made a few other moves on the eve of a Week 17 meeting with the Bengals. The team signed defensive lineman Zachary Carter from its practice squad to its 53-man roster. Additionally, the Cardinals elevated cornerback Jaden Davis and wide receiver Steven Sims from their taxi squad.
Cardinals LT Paris Johnson Expected To Miss Time
Cardinals left tackle Paris Johnson is expected to miss time due to a sprained MCL, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Johnson, 24, left Sunday’s game against the Rams and did not return. He was replaced by undrafted rookie Josh Fryar, who has become a regular figure in Arizona’s offense in the last month. He has played 87 snaps in the last four weeks, including a Week 11 start at right tackle, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Fryar will likely start in Johnson’s place in Week 15 if the 2023 first-round pick cannot go.
Johnson has been one of the few consistent bright spots for the Cardinals offense in 2025. He played every snap until he injured his knee and his 76.6 grade from PFF is second on the team to tight end Trey McBride.
The injury does not seem to be serious enough to justify a long-term absence, and the Cardinals may even see how Johnson looks in practice this week before ruling him out for their next game against the Texans. Houston’s pass rush has been fierce this season, and Johnson would have played a major role in slowing down Danielle Hunter on the blind side.
The third-year offensive tackle has made a strong case for his fifth-year option to be picked up this offseason. Johnson has already reached the second-tier price of $19.95MM based on his playtime, per OverTheCap, and a Pro Bowl nod would push his 2027 cost to $24.63MM. He is currently leading fan voting for the Pro Bowl, per Rapoport, but he will need support from players and coaches to add that extra $4.68MM to his earning potential.
Johnson will also be eligible for a long-term extension this offseason. He played left tackle during his final year at Ohio State but struggled when flipped to the right side in Arizona. Johnson moved back to left tackle in 2024 and has put together two solid seasons, which should position him for a strong extension in the next two years. The left tackle market is now well over $25MM per year for the best players, and Johnson’s age and potential could have him knocking on that door in long-term contract talks.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/24/24
Tuesday’s minor NFL moves, including elevations for tomorrow’s Christmas Day doubleheader:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: OL Jackson Barton, LB Benton Whitley
- Placed on IR: LT Paris Johnson Jr., RT Jonah Williams
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: WR Anthony Miller
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: LB Baylon Spector
Carolina Panthers
- Signed (off 49ers’ practice squad): LB Chandler Wooten
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: S Adrian Colbert
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated for return: T Asim Richards
Detroit Lions
- Waived: LB David Long
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: RB Blake Watson
- Waived: CB Levi Wallace
- Designated for return: RB Tyler Badie
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB D’Angelo Ross, WR Jared Wayne
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: G Mark Glowinski
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed to active roster: LB Joe Giles-Harris
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from IR: TE Peyton Hendershot
- Elevated: LB Swayze Bozeman, S Deon Bush
New England Patriots
- Designated for return: LB Curtis Jacobs
New York Giants
- Activated: LB Dyontae Johnson
- Designated for return: DL Armon Watts
- Waived: DL Casey Rogers
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: S Jarius Monroe
- Placed on IR: T Olu Fashanu (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: TE Kevin Foelsch
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed (off Cardinals’ practice squad): T Charlie Heck
The Cardinals – who were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday – will close out the season without either of their starting tackles. Both Johnson and Williams are dealing with knee injuries, and they will be shut down for the remainder of the campaign. The former was a full-time starter as a rookie last year and made 14 appearances in 2024 upon switching to the blindside. Williams signed a one-year deal in free agency to handle RT duties, but two separate knee ailments will limit him to six games played this year. The 27-year-old’s free agent stock will take a hit as a result.
Wallace has made 13 appearances in 2024, his first season with the Broncos. The veteran has handled part-time defensive duties along the way, while also chipping in on special teams. As Denver returns to health at the CB spot, though, Wallace will hit the waiver wire. Should he clear, head coach Sean Payton said the Broncos would like to re-sign him via a practice squad deal (h/t Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette).
Fashanu exited the Jets’ Week 16 contest on crutches, and it was recently reported he would miss the rest of the season as a result. Today’s move thus comes as no surprise. Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said on Tuesday surgery to repair the first-round rookie’s plantar fascia would be needed, but the team has since clarified a procedure will not take place. Fashanu is expected to recover in full through rehab.
Evan Brown Favorite For Cardinals’ LG Job; Latest On Paris Johnson Jr.’s Position Change
Although the Cardinals swapped out D.J. Humphries‘ veteran contract for new right tackle Jonah Williams‘, the team is keeping costs low along its offensive front. Only one player — Williams — is tied to a deal worth more than $7.5MM per year.
Paris Johnson Jr.‘s first-round salary checks in behind Williams’ $15MM-per-year pact at this Cardinals position group. Among Arizona’s interior O-line, backup-level salaries are present. One of those is allocated to Evan Brown, who signed a one-year, $2.35MM contract with the team in March. Brown spent last season as the Seahawks’ starting center, but he will shift positions once again.
The Cardinals have installed Brown at guard, and the Arizona Republic’s Bob McManaman notes the veteran is in the lead to win the team’s left guard post. While a host of competitors are vying with Brown for the only undecided spot along Arizona’s offensive front, Brown came to the desert after three seasons as an O-line regular.
The Seahawks used Brown as a 16-game center starter last season. That came after Brown worked as a fill-in starter in back-to-back seasons in Detroit. The Lions plugged Brown in as a Frank Ragnow injury replacement in 2021; that season brought 12 starts for the former UDFA. He operated as Halapoulivaati Vaitai‘s RG fill-in during the 2022 season. All 40 of Brown’s career starts came over the past three seasons, as he bounced around between four teams from 2018-20.
Brown, 27, played for similar terms in Seattle (one year, $2.25MM) to plug a hole created by Austin Blythe‘s retirement. Pro Football Focus graded Brown as a bottom-tier center in 2023, slotting him 27th last season. The advanced metrics site viewed Brown’s pass protection as an issue in 2022 as well, though it graded the former UDFA as much better in that department as a center in 2021. As the Cardinals continue to rebuild, Brown will attempt to hold off some competitors — including last season’s Week 1 starter at the position — on an inexpensive front featuring another journeyman starter.
Hjalte Froholdt, a 2019 fourth-rounder who played for three teams from 2019-21, is entrenched as the team’s center. Will Hernandez is locked in as the team’s right guard, McManaman adds. Brown will battle LG incumbent Elijah Wilkinson (nine starts last season), Trystan Castillo-Colon, Carter O’Donnell and third-rounder Isaiah Adams in the primary competition for the job. Adams’ presence figures to be important here, though the Cardinals appear to be planning to ease the Day 2 draftee into the mix slowly. Brown is a stopgap guard option, and Jonathan Gannon said he is also seeing time at center — perhaps in preparation for a swing role if Adams becomes the LG starter.
Johnson and Williams, of course, are locked in as starters as well. Johnson is making the switch from full-time right tackle as a rookie to the left side. This aligns with D.J. Humphries‘ trajectory, as the former first-rounder moved from RT to LT after one season as a starter. Johnson is now replacing Humphries, and McManaman adds the 2023 No. 6 overall pick began preparing for the position switch before officially receiving word it was a go. Noting he and Humphries still communicate regularly, Johnson — an All-American left tackle at Ohio State in 2022 — said the Cardinals informed him a switch could happen depending on how free agency unfolded.
“I got a text one day and it said, ‘Hey, can you play left?’” Johnson said. “I’ve been training both. I asked after the season and they were like, ‘Honestly, we’ll talk to you at some point in the season,’ and I got a text, and it was like, ‘Depending on what happens in free agency.
“I had a whole season at right tackle, so if I get the word I’m staying at right tackle, I’ll just do what I did before. But I thought I might as well train at left tackle now as if I’m going to be left tackle. I’d rather do that than train all at right tackle and get the call, ‘Hey you’re at left tackle now.’ … I was just preparing in advance.”
Humphries, the Cardinals’ LT starter for seven seasons, remains a free agent. Johnson is under contract through the 2026 season. Kelvin Beachum remains in place as a swingman behind Johnson and Williams, who is staying at the position he played — following a trade request based on a left tackle role — in his Bengals contract year.
Cardinals Move Paris Johnson Jr. To LT
Seven years ago, the Cardinals flipped their starting tackles by moving Jared Veldheer to the right side and first-round pick D.J. Humphries to the left edge in their then-Carson Palmer-centered offense. Chosen in the first round eight years after Humphries, Paris Johnson Jr. will be at the center of a Cardinals position revamp up front.
Arizona used Johnson as its right tackle in 2023, but the former No. 6 overall pick is ticketed for the blindside post this season. Jonathan Gannon confirmed the Ohio State product will play on the left side during the offseason program, as a development effort — one that will see free agency addition Jonah Williams continue at right tackle — ensues ahead of Johnson’s second season. Johnson has been working at his new spot since the Cardinals began on-field work this offseason.
“Paris obviously playing both, Jonah playing both, but we’ll start there and see how it goes,” Gannon said, via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban. “That’s what they both feel comfortable with right now.”
While noting he holds veto power regarding this effort, Gannon is pointing to another Cardinals tackle switch-up. The above-referenced change occurred after Humphries played right tackle in his de facto rookie year (the 2015 first-rounder missed all of his actual first season). Humphries remained in that post through last season. The Cardinals said they would be open to re-signing Humphries — a March cap casualty — but their recent Johnson-focused announcement makes a reunion highly unlikely.
At this time last year, the prospect of Johnson beginning at guard was in play. The Cardinals employed Humphries and Josh Jones and had just re-signed Kelvin Beachum. But the team slotted its top draftee on the right side. Johnson started all 17 games at RT as a rookie. A move to the left side always seemed in play, with Johnson finishing his college career there and earning first-team All-American acclaim. Johnson played right guard for the Buckeyes in 2022.
This move is perhaps more interesting for Williams, who made a trade request — a Bengals regularity over the past two springs — after the team kicked him to the right side. Cincinnati’s Orlando Brown Jr. signing “blindsided” Williams, though the three-year Bengals LT retracted his trade ask and went to work on the right side. Williams started opposite Brown throughout last season and signed a two-year, $30MM Cardinals deal.
Williams agreeing to terms with a team to play right tackle is notable given the events in his final Bengals offseason. It would also seem easier for the Cardinals to keep Johnson on the right side and install Williams at the position with which he is most comfortable. But Johnson certainly brings higher upside; the team will begin an earnest developmental effort for him to take over as Kyler Murray‘s blindside protector. Pro Football Focus ranked Johnson and Williams 57th and 59th among tackles last season.
Beachum, 35 next month, remains on Arizona’s roster as a swing tackle. The team returns right guard Will Hernandez and center Hjalte Froholdt. Williams’ deal contains $19MM fully guaranteed, covering part of his 2025 salary. The team added Evan Brown in free agency, still rosters Elijah Wilkinson and used a third-round pick on Isaiah Adams. Brown, Wilkinson and Adams are set to compete for the left guard gig, Urban adds. Gannon confirmed the Brown signing will not move the Cardinals to try Froholdt at guard.
Cards LT D.J. Humphries Returns To Practice
Cardinals left tackle D.J. Humphries returned to the practice field for voluntary OTAs last week, per Darren Urban of the team’s official website. Humphries missed the second half of the 2022 season due to a back injury.
Humphries, a 2021 Pro Bowler, acknowledged that he “had to roll the dice a little bit” in electing to forego back surgery in favor of rehab. As of the time of this writing, he is not quite back to full strength, but he remains on track to suit up for Week 1 of the regular season.
Humphries’ shortened season was one of many difficulties that the Cardinals faced in 2022, and it was a disappointing setback for a player who dealt with significant injury issues in the early stages of his career but who had missed only one contest — a COVID-related absence — from 2019-21.
That newfound durability, along with generally solid play as Arizona’s blindside blocker, allowed Humphries to land multiple three-year contracts from the Cards. His current deal, which he signed last August and which was restructured in March, keeps him under club control through 2025.
Arizona did select Ohio State tackle Paris Johnson Jr. with the No. 6 pick of this year’s draft, and it is still rostering 2020 third-rounder Josh Jones, who played well at left tackle in Humphries’ absence last season. Nonetheless, Urban expects Humphries to reclaim the starting LT job, with Johnson beginning his professional career on the right side.
Even a rebuilding outfit like Arizona benefits from a quality left tackle, and assuming he can stay healthy, Humphries is exactly that. He also comes at a reasonable price, as he is due under $16MM per season over the 2024-25 seasons. Thanks to the above-referenced restructure, Humphries is earning just $5.5MM in base salary in 2023, though that is because a chunk of his salary was converted to a signing bonus for cap purposes.
Unless they were to make him a post-June 1 cut or trade next year, the Cardinals cannot now feasibly extricate themselves from Humphries’ contract until the end of the 2024 season. That suggests that the club, like the player himself, did not worry that the back injury would be a career-threatening one, and that Humphries could remain on the roster for the foreseeable future.
Arizona’s three-day mandatory minicamp begins on Tuesday, at which point we may have more clarity on the team’s plans with respect to Humphries and Johnson.
Raiders Rumors: Adams, Renfrow, OL
Shortly after the Raiders’ plan to separate from Derek Carr surfaced, Davante Adams indicated he was not planning to make an effort to follow his ex-college teammate out the door. Adams is signed through 2026 on what is still the NFL’s second-most lucrative receiver deal. The Raiders have made some changes this offseason, most notably replacing Carr with Jimmy Garoppolo. Adams made some cryptic comments about the franchise’s direction this week.
“[The front office] thinks this is the best bet for us right now to put us in a position to be urgent,” Adams said regarding the team’s offensive vision, via The Ringer’s Mirin Fader. “We don’t see eye-to-eye on what we think is best for us right now. … I’m going to have to buy into this and try to be as optimistic as possible. It’s not what I expected to happen, but it’s something that’s the reality now.”
Rumored to be potentially kept in the loop regarding the Raiders’ big-picture decisions, Adams expressed hesitancy regarding his fit with Garoppolo. The veteran quarterback is tied to the Raiders through at least 2023, due to his $33.75MM guarantee, and may well be a multiyear Las Vegas starter, seeing as the team did not draft a quarterback.
“It all depends on the style of ball that we play,” Adams said. “If we play a certain brand of ball, I can get [Garoppolo] to conform to whatever. But if we use him a certain type of way, then it’s going to make it tough for us to maximize who we should be this year.”
For what it’s worth, Adams shared a photo with GM Dave Ziegler after that interview surfaced. Adams, who will turn 31 later this year, earned his third straight first-team All-Pro honor last season. He will team with Josh Jacobs, Hunter Renfrow and UFA addition Jakobi Meyers as Garoppolo’s lead supporting cast. Here is the latest out of Vegas:
- While Ziegler and Josh McDaniels signed off on Renfrow’s two-year, $32MM extension during the 2022 offseason, the veteran slot player delivered underwhelming early returns in McDaniels’ system. After Renfrow’s 1,038-yard 2021 showing helped drive the Raiders into the playoffs, he managed just 330 in 10 games last year. Since giving Renfrow that extension, the Raiders have signed Meyers to an $11MM-per-year deal and drafted slot target Tre Tucker in Round 3. Pegging the odds of Renfrow being elsewhere by 2024 as “90%,” The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes he joined Darren Waller in being a poor fit for McDaniels’ offense (subscription required). McDaniels also cut down on Renfrow’s route improvisations, which were encouraged under Jon Gruden. Trading Renfrow in 2024 (when his base salary spikes to $11.2MM) would save the Raiders $8MM.
- The Raiders have surprisingly made it to mid-May without adding a starter-caliber outside free agent on their offensive line. That might not be the case by training camp. Citing the team’s potential to add a veteran guard or tackle, Tafur adds he would be “shocked” if Alex Bars remained the team’s right guard starter. Pro Football Focus rated Bars, a former Bears UDFA, as the Raiders’ worst starting O-lineman by a wide margin last season. Guard Dalton Risner remains unsigned, as do Rodger Saffold, Pat Elflein, A.J. Cann and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Longtime Raider Gabe Jackson, whom Gruden traded to the Seahawks in 2021, is also available. The Raiders also showed interest in Paris Johnson, per Tafur. Although the Cardinals discussed a deal with the Raiders for the No. 7 pick, Arizona moving ahead of Vegas for No. 6 (to take Johnson) makes sense.
- The team re-signed right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor but also brought back 2021 right tackle starter Brandon Parker, who missed last year with an injury. Eluemunor will also be a candidate to slide to guard, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore, after having played there in the past. That would be an internal way to upgrade from Bars. Second-year tackle Thayer Munford and Justin Herron, one of many ex-Patriots in Vegas, stand to factor in for the RT gig.
Cardinals Sign First-Round OL Paris Johnson Jr.
The Cardinals have officially signed their first-round pick. The team announced that they’ve inked Paris Johnson Jr. to his rookie contract.
Arizona was reportedly in pursuit of an offensive lineman in the draft. Despite trading out of the third-overall pick, they still got their way when they selected Johnson with the sixth-overall pick.
Johnson took on a larger role at Ohio State in 2022, appearing in 13 games. The 6-6, 315-pound blocker allowed only a pair of sacks last year, and as a result of his performance, he earned a consensus All-American selection and was graded as one of Pro Football Focus’ top offensive tackle prospects in the draft.
The Cardinals were in dire need for depth along the offensive line after having allowed 44 sacks last year. This offseason, they’ve re-signed right tackle Kelvin Beachum and added veteran Elijah Wilkinson, and they’ll also welcome back veteran D.J. Humphries, who missed much of last season. As a result of the added depth, Johnson may not immediately start at LT, but his versatility shouldn’t make that much of an issue.
The Cardinals also announced that they’ve signed four other draft picks: third-round wide receiver Michael Wilson, fourth-round offensive lineman Jon Gaines II, fifth-round quarterback Clayton Tune, and fifth-round linebacker Owen Pappoe. That leaves four rookies unsigned, including second-round linebacker B.J. Ojulari.
Cardinals Acquire No. 6, Select Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr.
After trading out of the No. 3 pick, the Cardinals are moving back up. Arizona has acquired the No. 6 pick (along with No. 81) from the Lions, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that Detroit will receive picks No. 12, No. 34, and No. 168. 
The Cardinals will use their newfound selection on Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr.
We heard that Arizona was considering a trade down in pursuit of an offensive lineman. It took multiple trades to get there, but the Cardinals ultimately got their way, selecting one of the draft’s top O-line prospects.
After playing sparingly through his first two collegiate seasons, Johnson took on a larger role in 2022, appearing in 13 games for Ohio State. The 6-6, 315-pound blocker was charged with only a pair of sacks this past season, and Pro Football Focus gave him one of the highest grades (88 overall) at his position. As a result of his performance, Johnson earned a consensus All-American nod after the season.
The Cardinals surrendered 46 sacks last season, leaving open the possibility of improving their pass protection during the draft. By virtue of this pair of moves, new general manager Monti Ossenfort has landed arguably the team’s top target, while adding draft capital next season. Johnson will join a new-look room along the offensive front in the desert.
Arizona has re-signed right tackle Kelvin Beachum and added veteran Elijah Wilkinson so far this offseason. Johnson could compete for a starting role right away, despite only playing at that spot for one season with the Buckeyes. The Cardinals still have D.J. Humphries at left tackle, but the longtime starter missed much of last season. His previous experience includes time at right guard, versatility which could help the Cardinals improve along the O-line in one fashion or another – a needed development considering the long-term rebuilding path the team is likely on.
The Lions, meanwhile, had been connected to a few different defensive players at their original spot. Moving down has already taken them out of contention for DT Jalen Carter, though CB Christian Gonzalez could still be an option at No. 12.
Bijan Robinson On Eagles’ Radar At No. 10
The Eagles are one of the teams to enter tonight’s draft with a running back need. They can either add a back to work in a committee of sorts with Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott or make an early-round move to replace Miles Sanders.
While the team has been connected to offensive and defensive line prospects, James Palmer of NFL.com notes Bijan Robinson is in play for the defending NFC champions at No. 10 overall (video link). Only the Eagles and Buccaneers, who hold the No. 19 overall pick, met with Robinson during the pre-draft visit window. But the Texas prospect is viewed as one of this draft’s safest options; he would be expected to be a plug-and-play starter.
This would be an against-the-grain pick for the Eagles, who have valued O-line investments over running back payments under Howie Roseman. The veteran GM traded DeMarco Murray, signed during Chip Kelly‘s 2015 in power, quickly after being given the front office keys back and has not devoted much in the way of expenses toward the lower-value position. But the Eagles did use a second-round pick on Sanders four years ago. Robinson could be kept on a rookie deal through 2027, via the fifth-year option.
ESPN’s Scouts Inc. grades Robinson as this draft’s second-best prospect; NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah slots him third overall. Positional value makes Robinson’s landing spot harder to peg. The Falcons, at No. 8, have been tied to the ex-Texas standout. The Ravens, who have dealt with frequent injury trouble at the position, have also been connected to making a move here. Though, Baltimore holds the No. 22 overall pick.
Additionally, the Eagles continue to look into this draft’s top O-linemen. After Wednesday’s Paris Johnson connection, Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski may be in play as well. The Eagles, who let Isaac Seumalo walk in free agency, see both players as being able to begin their career at right guard and eventually transition to tackle to take over for Lane Johnson. Both players’ positional flexibility is important, per Palmer. Several teams see Skoronski as a guard. Neither Johnson nor Skoronski, however, is a lock to be on the board at No. 10. The Cardinals and Bears are interested in O-linemen, though if the Titans are the team that makes a trade for the No. 3 choice, the Cards would be sitting behind the Eagles at No. 11.
The Eagles used a second-round pick on potential Jason Kelce heir apparent Cam Jurgens, who could also factor into the team’s plans at guard. That probably depends on how the Eagles proceed tonight. While no NFL date features more misdirection than Day 1 of the draft, the Eagles — thanks to their April 2022 trade with the Saints — stand to be a major factor in tonight’s first round, given their Nos. 10 and 30 selections.