Cardinals keep playoff hopes alive; QB controversy at forefront
Jacoby Brissett stunned the Cowboys on Monday Night Football, but coach Jonathon Gannon remains insistent that Kyler Murray is the starting QB.
Defensive starters Max Melton and Mack Wilson Sr. are dealing with injuries following the team’s win over Dallas.Several rookies, including Walter Nolen III and Denzel Burke, played significant roles in the Cardinals’ recent victory.
The big news of Tuesday, Nov. 4, at Arizona Cardinals headquarters was head coach Jonathan Gannon’s announcement that Jacoby Brissett will get the start at quarterback in Seattle against the Seahawks, with the coach saying Kyler Murray is still dealing with a lingering foot injury.
But Gannon touched on other topics, namely the health of several players, including defensive starters Max Melton and Mack Wilson Sr.
Melton, a defensive back, is in concussion protocol after leaving the Monday Night Football game at Dallas in the first half. Wilson, who calls defensive signals from his linebacker spot, left the game early in the fourth quarter with an injury to his ribs, and Gannon said he is sore.
Rookie Denzel Burke replaced Melton and played well, and another rookie, Cody Simon, came on for Wilson and also helped the Cardinals limit the Cowboys’ offense in the second half of Arizona’s 27-17 win.
Other injuries will be addressed on Wednesday, Nov. 5, when the Cardinals begin the week of practice. With regard to Murray, Gannon said he is working to get healthy but didn’t fully dismiss the notion of an injured reserve designation for the veteran quarterback.
Rookies shine in Cardinals’ win
Five members of the Cardinals’ 2025 NFL Draft class played key roles in the team’s win in Dallas.
Defensive lineman Walter Nolen III, corner Will Johnson, linebacker Jordan Burch, Simon and Burke combined for 19 tackles, an interception (Burke), a sack, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two tackles for loss and two special teams tackles.
Nolen became just the fourth player in NFL history to have a sack, two or more tackles for loss and a pass breakup in his first career game. He is the first player to accomplish the feat since All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt in 2017.
Simon had to take over as the defensive signal-caller when Wilson left the game.
“Looked out there late in the fourth there, and it was like, Will and Denzel and Cody and Burch and Walter, and I was like ‘Wow, we’ve got a lot of rookies out there,'” Gannon said.
“It just goes to show you they’re team-first guys, mature guys that can handle it, but it was cool because Cody wasn’t in that role when the ball kicked off, and now all of a sudden you are. You’re the ‘green dot’ running the show. … He made some huge plays in there.”
Tomlinson getting job done
Defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson might not have the numbers to show his impact on the Cardinals’ defense, but he’s still affecting the game in a way Gannon likes to see.
“Off the tape he’s popping off,” Gannon said. “He’s everything that we wanted him to be when he signed here. He’s a really good defender; they need to put two on him to block him.”
Tomlinson has two tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback hits this season. The ninth-year pro signed with the Cardinals as a free agent in March of this year.
José M. Romero can be reached at jose.romero@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @RomeroJoseM or Instagram at @romerojosem.