Report: Cardinals LT Paris Johnson Jr. suffered MCL sprain, expected to miss time

Arizona Cardinals starting left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. is expected to miss time with a sprained MCL he sustained on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday.

Johnson is considered week-to-week after he started 12 of Arizona’s first 13 games — he missed Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers with a knee injury.

He left Sunday’s game in the third quarter and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game.

Josh Fryar entered for Johnson and played 27 offensive snaps in the 45-17 defeat.

Arizona has already lost starting right tackle Jonah Williams to season-ending shoulder surgery, as Kelvin Beachum has slid into the starting lineup. Demontrey Jacobs is another tackle on the active roster, while second-year pro Christian Jones is working his way back from injured reserve (knee). Jones was a limited participant in practice all of last week.

Johnson, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has solidified himself as Arizona’s franchise left tackle. He leads all tackles in Pro Bowl voting, ahead of San Francisco’s Trent Williams and Detroit’s Penei Sewell.

The Cardinals have gone through extensive injury adversity, as the running backs, wide receivers, defensive backs and offensive line rooms have been particularly impacted throughout the season. Quarterback Kyler Murray was ruled out for the year last week after getting further opinions on a foot issue.

Arizona has four games remaining in a lost season, starting Sunday at the surging Houston Texans. The Cardinals then return home for the Atlanta Falcons before ending the year with road games at the Cincinnati Bengals and Rams.

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