The Arizona Cardinals will play the rest of the season without left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. Coach Mike LaFleur said on Monday, October 5, that Johnson tore his biceps in the final moments of Sunday’s 36–24 loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
The injury takes the most established player off Arizona’s offensive line at a difficult moment. The Cardinals are 1–3 after three straight defeats, and LaFleur said rookie Jayden Williams will get the first chance to replace Johnson at left tackle when Arizona hosts the Detroit Lions in Week 5.
A rookie steps into the blind side
Williams was a seventh-round pick in the 2026 draft. Moving him into the starting lineup means a late-round rookie will protect the quarterback’s blind side for most of the season unless Arizona finds help elsewhere. The other internal option is Josh Fryar, who has appeared in one game this season and was a healthy inactive against the Giants.
Johnson was the sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft and has started on Arizona’s offensive line since his rookie season. The Cardinals exercised his fifth-year option during the offseason, which keeps him under contract beyond this year. Late-season injuries had already cut short each of his last two seasons, and this one ends his 2026 campaign after four games.
A hard stretch for Arizona
The Cardinals opened the season with a 26–14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, then lost 31–7 at home to the Seattle Seahawks, 36–30 at San Francisco and 36–24 against the Giants. The next three games are at home against Detroit on October 11, at the Los Angeles Rams on October 18 and at home against the Denver Broncos on October 25. The Lions–Cardinals Game Center will show confirmed lineups and live scoring.
Johnson was not Arizona’s only injury against New York. Safety Andrew Wingard was diagnosed with a bone bruise, and the team is also monitoring guard Isaiah Adams.
The Cardinals have not yet announced a corresponding roster move, including when Johnson will go on injured reserve or whether they will add a tackle from outside the building. The injury also leaves open how it affects any future contract talks. Follow updates on the Cardinals team page, the NFL injury report and the transactions tracker.
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