The Arizona Cardinals have had to deal with a number of injuries on the offensive line. Three starters — left tackle Paris Johnson, right tackle Jonah Williams and right guard Will Hernandez — are on injured reserve.
Rookie Isaiah Adams has been starting at right guard for several weeks. Another rookie might be starting in Week 18 because of another injury.
Kelvin Beachum, now the starting left tackle, missed Thursday’s practice with a knee injury. That could open the door for fifth-round pick Christian Jones. Jones was active for the first time last week and played nine total snaps, three as a tackle eligible and three at right tackle, coming in for a series.
The two starting tackles could end up being Jackson Barton, currently the starting right tackle and Jones. The question is whether Jones would play the left side or if Barton would move over so Jones could play right tackle.
The final injury report will come out Friday afternoon, so we will know more about Beachum’s availability.
But in the final game of the season, the Cardinals might have two rookies (Jones and Adams) and a player with two career starts (Barton) protecting quarterback Kyler Murray.
That’s not exactly what anyone would have hoped to see when the season began.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.