Williams’ return marks good news for a unit that hasn’t had much of it regarding injuries. The team lost Sean Murphy-Bunting and Starling Thomas V before the season began and saw Johnson miss two division games with a groin injury.
With Williams’ window opening, he joins defensive lineman Walter Nolen III, who had his practice window opened on Oct. 15. He’s been gearing up for his NFL debut, although it’s unclear if Dallas will be the venue for his first game.
“He’s doing well,” Gannon said of the first-round pick. “Taking it day by day. It’s Tuesday. We are a long way away before we got to make those decisions.”
In anticipation of their activation to the 53-man roster, the Cardinals opened up two roster spots as they released running back Michael Carter and cornerback Darren Hall on Monday. the Cardinals re-signed both to the practice squad. Carter was signed to the 53-man roster from the practice squad prior to the Week 5 matchup against the Titans. Running back D’Ernest Johnson, tight end Nick Muse, and wide receiver Bryson Green were released from the practice squad.
The Cardinals enter Monday’s game on a five-game losing streak. The losses coming by a combined 13 total points.
“It sucks, but we’re a team that goes and analyzes everything, sees where we messed up throughout the game or multiple games, and come back and make adjustments off of that,” outside linebacker Zaven Collins said. “It’s not like there’s a huge overhaul of things that we need to change, just a minor tweak here and there.”
If Williams and Nolen are activated for Monday’s game, the defense will receive a boost that can help them as they prepare for a Cowboys offense that ranks first in passing yards per game and second in total yards per game.
“We’ve got to start digging out of our hole that we’ve dug for ourselves,” Gannon said. “We’ve got to play well. It’s a good football team and we’re going on the road. We’ve got to control today, but we’ve got to play well.”