Tag: Kyzir White

2023 Cardinals Defensive Player of the Year: LB Kyzir White

White gets the edge over Jalen Thompson in this year’s 2023 player awards.

The Arizona Cardinals’ 2023 season is over and now we can look back at player and team performance. We are at the part of the offseason where awards and honors are beginning to be doled out.

We do the same for the Cardinals and their 2023 season.

Running back James Conner was the team’s MVP this season.

The team’s defensive player of the year isn’t as cut-and-dried.

In a close decision, it is linebacker Kyzir White, edging safety Jalen Thompson.

White set the tone for Arizona’s defense in 2023. Signed as a free agent last offseason and thrust into the “mike” linebacker role for the first time in his career, he was productive.

A torn biceps injury ended his season prematurely, but he still piled up stats.

Despite missing the final six games of the season, he still led the team with 90 tackles and nine tackles for loss.

He added a paid of sacks, an interception and three pass breakups. His physicality was noticed from the very first game.

Thompson had a fine season with 78 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack, four interceptions, nine pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Thompson did more statistically across the board in 15 games but White gets the edge.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Cardinals place DL Leki Fotu, LB Kyzir White on IR

White’s season is over and Fotu has to miss at least the next four games.

The Arizona Cardinals added two starting defensive players to injured reserve on Tuesday. They officially placed linebacker Kyzir White on IR after he tore his biceps on Sunday in the team’s 21-16 road loss to the Houston Texans. Head coach Jonathan Gannon announced on Monday that would happen. White’s season is over.

However, in addition to White, the Cardinals also placed defensive tackle Leki Fotu on IR with a broken bone in his hand.

It was reported initially that he might not have to miss any time, even if he needed surgery. Gannon said on Monday the team would see what would be best for Fotu and then the team.

With Fotu landing on IR, he will miss at least four games. The earliest he would be eligible to return is Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

With those two moves, the Cardinals re-signed safety Qwuantrezz Knight, whom they released on Saturday, and signed defensive tackle Ben Stille from the practice squad to the active roster.

They also made a pair of practice squad moves, releasing receiver Davion Davis and bringing back receiver Daniel Arias.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Cardinals LB Kyzir White headed to IR with torn biceps

White played every snap of the season before his injury. He likely will not play another snap this season.

The Arizona Cardinals have suffered another bg blow to their defense. The latest is linebacker and team captain Kyzir White. Head coach Jonathan Gannon announced Monday White would be placed on injured reserve with a torn biceps.

Before the injury, he had played every defensive snap of the season. Per Darren Urban, White won’t play another snap this season.

It is the third torn biceps on defense this season. Defensive linemen L.J. Collier and Carlos Watkins also suffered torn biceps.

White actually stayed on the field a few plays with the injury.

“It was kind of gut-wrenching to watch because I didn’t know he tore his bicep and he’s out there playing with one arm,” Gannon said.

His loss means Krys Barnes will be thrust into the starting lineup. Barnes had an interception on Sunday after White exited the game.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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3 Cardinals defenders injured in loss to Texans

Linebacker Kyzir White, defensive lineman Leki Fotu and cornerback Antonio Hamilton all exited the game on Sunday with injuries.

The Arizona Cardinals lost on Sunday 21-16 to the Houston Texans. The defense struggled in the first half and then locked things down in the second. However, the defense took hits with injuries, losing three starters by the end of the game.

Linebacker Kyzir White, who had played every defensive snaps of the season for the first 10 games, left the game in the first half and did not return. IT was reported initially that it was an elbow. The television broadcast said it was his shoulder.

Later, in the second half, defensive lineman Leki Fotu, who had a sack in the first half, exited with a hand injury. He was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the game.

While making a critical fourth-quarter interception, cornerback Antonio Hamilton suffered a groin injury and had to be helped off the field.

We probably won’t know until at least Monday what the prognosis for any of them.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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POLL: Who was the Cardinals’ player of the game?

Vote in the poll to tell us who you think was the Cardinals’ player of the game on Sunday.

The Arizona Cardinals beat the Dallas Cowboys 28-16 on Sunday for their first win of the season. They had solid performances by several players.

But who was the player of the game?

We have our candidates below. Then you can vote in the poll.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

Cardinals linebacker Kyzir White fined for hit on Commanders QB Sam Howell

Remember that hit on Sam Howell in the first quarter? It proved costly for White.

Sam Howell made his second NFL start for the Washington Commanders against the Arizona Cardinals last week. Fortunately for Howell, he finished the game after a clear and dirty hit from Cardinals linebacker Kyzir White midway through the first quarter.

Here’s the play.

NFL officials quickly penalized White and the Cardinals for the hit. Howell’s teammates were unhappy, and a brief scuffle ensued on the sideline.

As expected, the hit proved costly for White, who was fined $18,056 for the unnecessary roughness penalty.

Washington fans were incensed, wanting White removed from the game. Howell would also suffer another big hit later in the game.

Howell played the entire game, completing 19 of 31 passes for 202 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for the game-winning score.

Howell and the Commanders face the Denver Broncos in Week 2.

NFL fans blasted Cardinals’ Kyzir White for a recklessly dirty hit on the Commanders’ Sam Howell

There’s no place in the game for dangerous and unnecessary hits like this.

The Washington Commanders likely just wanted a nice, clean, efficient game from Sam Howell in his second career start. That doesn’t appear to be something the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyzir White was interested in accommodating. (Jonathan Gannon didn’t mean his cringe speech to be taken literally!)

Around halfway through the first quarter, Howell scrambled left while trying to make a play off schedule. He was already clearly being brought down and tackled before White leveled the signal caller from an extremely vulnerable position. It was the kind of hit that should have no place in the game in 2023, and White displayed little self-control in the game that didn’t need extra heat.

Naturally, White would be appropriately penalized 15 yards, and Howell appeared to be OK.

Professional football is a wild and unsafe game enough. We don’t need defenders like White adding unnecessary spice like this to it.

Kyler Murray, Budda Baker among Cardinals’ 6 captains for 2023

The Arizona Cardinals named their 2023 captains. Kyler Murray and Budda Baker are among those who are captains for the fourth straight year.

The Arizona Cardinals named their captains for the 2023 season and had a “bonus” practice to prepare for their season opener on the road against the Washington Commanders.

Five of the six players return from last season. One is a newcomer but is no surprise. Three are offensive players, two are presumably defensive captains and one is for special teams, although he also plays defense.

Who are they? Check them out below.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

Cardinals training camp roster preview: LB Kyzir White

We take a look at LB Kyzir White and where he fits on the Cardinals’ roster.

The Arizona Cardinals open training camp at the end of this month, so we will do a roster review, highlighting each player currently on the roster, going over last season, their salary and cap number, questions they face and what their expected roster status will be.

Next up is LB Kyzir White.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

Top LB list does not include any Cardinals

No Cardinals linebacker is mentioned in Touchdown Wire’s top 11 or given honorable mention.

In an offseason of lists and rankings, the Arizona Cardinals often find themselves omitted or ranked poorly. This list from Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar does not include any Cardinals players.

He ranked the top 11 linebackers in the league and gave honorable mention to a handful of others, but no Cardinals made the list.

One would understand why.

As of right now, we only know one of the Cardinals’ starting off-ball linebackers.

Isaiah Simmons moved to safety and Zaven Collins appears to have moved to the edge as an outside linebacker.

Kyzir White will be one of the two starting inside linebackers. He is solid, playing well each of the last two seasons, but no one would put him in the league’s best linebackers.

As for the other starter, we don’t even know. Will it be rookie Owen Pappoe, a fifth-round pick? Will it be Zeke Turner or Josh Woods, both of whom have only really had roles on special teams? Will it be Krys Barnes, a former undrafted rookie who played a couple of all-right seasons for the Packers.

The NFC West had three linebackers make the list — Seattle’s Bobby Wagner and San Francisco’s Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.

Perhaps with a season as the Cardinals’ defensive playcaller, White can elevate his play to the next level. Unless he does, we shouldn’t expect to see a Cardinal on this list next year, either.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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