Near the end of Friday’s practice, second-year outside linebacker BJ Ojulari suffered a knee injury and had to be helped off the field. The next morning, national NFL reporter Cameron Wolfe reports that Ojulari has a torn ACL and will be out for the season.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Cardinals OLB BJ Ojulari suffered a torn ACL in his left knee at practice Friday, per source.
Ojulari, Arizona’s 2023 2nd round pick, had a strong finish to his rookie season notching 4 sacks and was expected to be 1 of Cardinals’ top pass rushers this year. pic.twitter.com/tGkDL1zw5q
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) August 3, 2024
On a third down play in practice, Ojulari rushed the passer from the left edge but badly hyperextended his left leg while engaged with right tackle Jonah Williams. One step after planting the left leg at an awkward angle, the leg buckled and he went down to the ground in a hurry. Trainers were able to help him walk off the field but needed two people to provide support.
The injury news come as a big blow to the Cardinals, who were banking on Ojulari to be a big part of their pass rush rotation in 2024 and improve on a defense that ranked 31st in scoring last season. A second round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University, he had 40 tackles, 20 pressures, and 4.0 sacks in his rookie season. He was primed for a big leap in his second year in Arizona.
He was set to be their starting outside linebackers, lined up on the other side from Zaven Collins. That puts them in a tough position with their edge rushers. Veteran Dennis Gardeck will likely need to step up to play significant snaps in that area along with fourth-year player Victor Dikumeje, and the team may need to sign more depth to get through the season.
Burn City Sports was at Friday’s practice and has video of the injury.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
