93 day till the Cardinals’ season opener vs. Bills

DL Jonathan Ledbetter was the Cardinals’ last reasonably impactful No. 93.

The Arizona Cardinals, on Friday, move a day closer to the start of the 2024 NFL. In 93 days, they will take the field at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York to take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.

No. 93 belongs to new defensive lineman Justin Jones, signed to a three-year free agent deal this offseason. He is expected to be an impact player against both the run and as a pass rusher. He had a career-high 4.5 sacks and 17 QB hits in 2023.

Who was the last impactful No. 93?

It was the Cardinals’ last No. 93, defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter, who is still unsigned this offseason after tearing his ACL at the end of last year.

He played the last three seasons for the Cardinals, joining the team late during 2021, appearing one game.

He developed into an every-game starter, starting all 12 of the games in which he played last season before he got hurt. He had a career-high 46 tackles and 1.5 sacks and was the 2023 Walter Payton Man Cardinals Man of the Year for his off-the-field community work.

The Cardinals have had other notable players with No. 93 — Calais Campbell, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Mark Smith. But Ledbetter was the last to make a solid impact.

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