Zay Jones, Hunter Long placed on Cardinals’ active roster for Rams matchup

The Arizona Cardinals moved two players to the active roster for rookie quarterback Carson Beck’s NFL debut against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Arizona elevated wide receiver Zay Jones from the practice squad and activated tight end Hunter Long from injured reserve on Saturday to provide reinforcements for an offense seemingly losing another player every week.

Due to the season-ending injuries that Michael Wilson, Kendrick Bourne and Jalen Brooks have all suffered, the Cardinals were previously entering the matchup with four healthy wide receivers, two of whom are rookies (Reggie Virgil and Harrison Wallace III).

Simi Fehoko and Devin Duvernay, who have seven combined receptions since the 2024 season, were the other two wideouts on the active roster.

Jones caught 12 passes for 183 yards with Arizona last season (eight games) and he appeared in 11 games for the Cardinals in 2024 following a five-game suspension to begin the season. The former second-round draft pick is four years removed from a career-best 82-catch, 823-yard season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022.

After a short stint with the Houston Texans, he signed back to Arizona’s practice squad in late October.

Arizona traded with Jacksonville to acquire Long shortly before the beginning of the season, envisioning him primarily in a blocking role.

The tight end snagged two catches over the first four games while playing about one-third of the offensive snaps before he suffered a knee injury against the New York Giants in Week 4.

Before his time in Jacksonville, Long spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams from 2023-24. Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur was the Rams OC during Long’s tenure.

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