Cardinals wide receiver Zay Jones suffered a season-ending left Achilles tear in a 44-22 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, head coach Jonathan Gannon announced (via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN). Jones, who’s expected to undergo surgery, will land on IR.
Jones sustained the injury during the second quarter of Sunday’s disastrous defeat to an NFC West rival. He finished the game with no catches and one target. The 30-year-old will wrap up the campaign with 12 receptions, 18 targets, and 183 yards. With Jones scheduled to hit the open market in the offseason, the timing and the severity of the injury are especially unfortunate.
Jones joined the Cardinals in free agency on a one-year, $2.25MM deal in May 2024. The agreement with Arizona came after the former East Carolina star and second-round pick divided his first seven NFL seasons among the Bills, Raiders, and Jaguars. During the best year of his career, 2022, he piled up 82 receptions for 823 yards and five touchdowns in Jacksonville.
Jones’ Cardinals tenure began inauspiciously last year with a five-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Although Jones caught a mere eight passes for 84 yards in 11 games after returning, the Cardinals brought him back on a one-year, $4.4MM contract last offseason. With Jones already done for the year in early November, the team will get little from that investment.
Jones currently ranks third among Cardinals WRs in catches, targets, and yards, trailing Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson in those categories. Harrison, Wilson, and tight end Trey McBride will continue serving as quarterback Jacoby Brissett‘s top options as he fills in for injured starter Kyler Murray, who will miss at least three more games with a mid-foot sprain. Receivers Greg Dortch and Xavier Weaver could get more work as the Cardinals look to replace Jones’ output.