GLENDALE – The Arizona Cardinals finally receive good news on the injury front regarding rookie defensive tackle Walter Nolen. The former 16th overall pick has been out of action since the summer training camps due to a calf injury, which forced him to miss the entire preseason and be added to the Physically Unable to Perform list. Little updates were given on Nolen’s recovery and status for his return until Wednesday’s announcement that his practice window has opened up.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Nolen will have 21 days to suit up and participate in his first ever NFL practice. Fellow defensive lineman Bilal Nichols was also on the PUP list and was activated before Week 5 and made his season debut the same week. However, the coaches and his teammates will likely be more careful with Nolen’s return to practice, trying to teach the 22-year-old patience.
Aug 2, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Walter Nolen III in the Red and White practice during training camp at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Calais Campbell on advice given to Nolen:
“He’s young and he has to go through his growing pains even though he is super-talented. I was reminding him because he’s eager. I’m like, ‘Slow down because you haven’t played real football in a long time now.’ He corrected me because I said it was a year and he was like, ‘It’s not a whole year.’
“He has to manage his own expectations, and the outside world should too, because it’s a process.”
Jun 10, 2025; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Walter Nolen III (97) talks with Calais Campbell (93) during minicamp at the teams Arizona Cardinals Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Fans have grown restless of Nolen’s eventual Cardinals debut, especially off the backs of 2024 first-round pick Darius Robinson suffering similar injury setbacks in his rookie season. Despite the outside noise, Campbell has taken the first-year defensive lineman under his wing to prepare him to follow in his footsteps to become the franchise’s next D-line cornerstone player.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
