TEMPE — The right side of the Arizona Cardinals’ offensive line is sitting on injured reserve with long-term injuries.
After right tackle Jonah Williams went down in Week 1 with a knee injury, Arizona had a known commodity in Kelvin Beachum to stand in. With standout right guard Will Hernandez suffering a season-ending knee injury on Sunday, the Cardinals will have to count on less experienced players to maintain a tenable level of protection.
Trystan Colon took over for Hernandez on Sunday, and the Cardinals continued to run the ball well late to close out the San Francisco 49ers, but head coach Jonathan Gannon said multiple players could step into that spot going forward.
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“Those interior spots, we got multiple guys that can fill that role, certain guys can play left and right, so we’ll find the best combination,” Gannon said on Monday. “Those guys with their role changing now because of Will will maximize their opportunity.”
Left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. said the hardest part of the game is losing teammates to injury, but he expressed confidence in the position group going forward to “keep the standard.”
“Those guys understand the game plan, I think it’s just kind of small things now in terms of this is something we’ve been able to build up, that rapport in terms of whether it’s communication or whether it’s alignment or whether it’s a certain angle in a set or something that we do in a combination,” Johnson said.
“That stuff just takes reps. Besides that, we’ve been playing right next to each other and having a rotation since training camp.”
Johnson, who has held his own taking over left tackle in his second NFL season, complimented the job Colon did on Sunday, saying he brings a rough-around-the-edges Missouri toughness. Colon played 14 games last year after three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
Who else could play right guard for the Arizona Cardinals?
Rookie Isaiah Adams returned to practice on Wednesday (thumb), Charlie Heck signed with the active roster from the practice squad and Jon Gaines II is another young player who will compete for snaps.
Adams was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, although left guard Evan Brown was limited with a hamstring issue, which throws another potential wrench into the situation. Beachum (hamstring) was a non-participant, which was the case last Wednesday but he suited up on game day.
Colon (26) has more offensive snaps this season than Adams (six), Heck, (13) and Gaines (0) combined.
Losing a player who was performing at a high level like Hernandez is a tough reality. He ranked No. 20 among interior linemen in pass block win rate and fifth in run block win rate, per ESPN. The opening will present some young players whom the Cardinals spent recent draft capital on the opportunity to for a short-term or perhaps long-term auditions. Gaines was a fourth-round pick last year, while Adams was taken in the third round in 2024.
“We’re going to show the same kind of love and the same kind of togetherness with that guy now in the fold on Sundays to be able to keep the standard the standard,” Johnson said.
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The Cardinals will face a tough Green Bay Packers defense on Sunday, who are tied for sixth in the NFL with 51 pressures in five games under first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt leads the team with three sacks and six tackles for loss.
“Certainly we’re always going to adjust to who’s out there and what the matchup is each week … I don’t see a major change in who we are, our philosophies on offense,” offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said of the changes up front.
“We have a lot of guys who I feel very confident to step into that role and continue to allow our offense to operate.”
The Cardinals will evaluate their options throughout the rest of the week.