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The Cardinals’ offensive line has been dealt another major blow as right tackle Jonah Williams is heading to injured reserve with a season-ending shoulder injury.
Coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed Friday that Williams needs surgery after getting hurt during Arizona’s Week 10 defeat to Seattle. The veteran tackle had been a steady presence on the Cardinals’ offensive front this season before the injury.
“He is a starter, good player,” Gannon said. “Just he wasn’t going to be able to play the rest of the year.”
The injury bug just won’t leave Williams alone.
When the final whistle blows on the 2025-26 campaign, Williams will have missed an alarming 19 of 34 possible games since joining Arizona. That’s more than half the games he could’ve played in Cardinal red.
His two-year stint with the team has been defined by trips to the training room. Eighteen of those absences have come while he’s been parked on IR.
The setbacks began immediately after he signed with Arizona. Williams’ 2024-25 season was derailed when he suffered a right knee injury in Week 1, sidelining him for nine straight games. Just as he was finding his form, another knee issue in Week 16 ended his season prematurely.
This year looked promising. Williams had started all nine games and was providing stability at right tackle before the shoulder injury against the Seahawks.
The Cardinals made a significant investment in Williams, inking him to a two-year, $30 million deal in March 2024 that included $19 million in guaranteed money. That contract now looks concerning given his inability to stay on the field.
Arizona will now need to reshuffle its offensive line protection schemes heading into the crucial final stretch of the season.
