The Arizona Cardinals will be without starting safeties Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson this weekend against the Carolina Panthers. Baker had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb. Thompson is on injured reserve currently with an ankle in injury. He is not eligible to come off until next week.
Chris Banjo, who started in place of Thompson the last two games, is also injured. He is not expected to play on Sunday.
That means two new starters. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph told reporters on Friday it would be Deionte Thompson and Curtis Riley. Thompson is in his second season and Riley was signed last month.
“We feel good about that,” he said. “We have certain packages were we can put other guys at similar positions, but right now we feel very comfortable with those two guys who have been in camp with us and have run this system.”
Earlier in the week, Kliff Kingsbury said it was possible that rookie linebacker Isaiah Simmons could play some safety, as he played the position in college.
Joseph would not say but Simmons very well could be one of the “other guys” he referred to.
The team added veteran T.J. Ward to the practice squad. Joseph said he wouldn’t be ready to play.
So against Carolina, they will roll with Thompson and Riley and publicly are confident.
“I think we are in good shape at safety.”
We will find out if that is actually the case.
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