Arizona Cardinals rookie Walter Nolen III avoided a major injury scare in his second professional game. While the first-round pick exited the Cardinals’ Week 10 game against the Seattle Seahawks, the team does not expect his injury to linger.
The Cardinals have since deemed Nolen’s injury to be “minor,” according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. The reporter also noted that Arizona expects him to be available for its Week 11 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.
Nolen left the game after notching two tackles and one quarterback hit. The game was his second after making his NFL debut in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys. Nolen previously missed the first seven games with a calf injury.
Despite exiting, Nolen still played 35 defensive snaps, the second-most on the team among interior defensive linemen behind veteran Dalvin Tomlinson. Calais Campbell and Dante Stills absorbed most of the snaps in his absence.
Although Nolen has yet to start a game, he has been highly efficient off the bench. The Ole Miss alum has a 71.3 Pro Football Focus player grade after two games, ranking in the top 25 percent among interior defensive linemen.
Walter Nolen III joins Cardinals’ injury woes
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
The Cardinals’ shorthanded defense will need Nolen moving forward. The rookie is one of several hobbled members of the team’s defense, which got exploited in its Week 10 loss.
Arizona faced the Seattle Seahawks without linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. or either starting cornerbacks Will Johnson and Max Melton. The injuries added to the continued absences of L.J. Collier, BJ Ojulari and Sean Murphy-Bunting, who have all been out since the beginning of the season.
If Nolen suffers a setback and misses Week 11, the Cardinals would be without almost every defensive playmaker on their roster. Even with him in the lineup, Arizona gave up 372 total yards and three touchdowns to the Seahawks.
The loss to the Seahawks prevented the Cardinals from beginning another win streak. Arizona is now 1-6 in its last seven games as it prepares for another divisional matchup against the 6-4 49ers.
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