Cardinals’ Jonathan Ledbetter done for year with knee injury

TEMPE — The Arizona Cardinals will be without defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter for the rest of the season, head coach Jonathan Gannon said Tuesday.

The Cardinals’ 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year went down in the fourth quarter of Arizona’s Week 16 loss to the Chicago Bears and did not return.

He marks the latest case of Cardinals defensive linemen seeing their season cut short due to injury.

Now, it’s on those still standing inside the DL room to pick up the slack in the absence of its leader.

#AZCardinals DL Jonathan Ledbetter is done for the year due to the knee injury, per head coach Jonathan Gannon. pic.twitter.com/D7V2fLTIvq

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) December 26, 2023

“Like any position, you got to get guys ready to play,” Gannon said. “Certain guys take on bigger roles and things like that. They’ve got to play different spots, but they’re battling and hanging in. We definitely got nicked on the D-line this year, but that’s like everybody in the NFL.”

With Ledbetter out, one name that should see an uptick in snaps is rookie Dante Stills, who has filled in nicely due to injuries and has played himself into an every-game role in the trenches.

Jury still out on Hollywood Brown

While a decision has been made when it comes to Ledbetter, the same can’t be said for wide receiver Hollywood Brown.

“Hollywood, we’ll see what comes along there this week and hopefully get him back out there,” Gannon said Tuesday.

As for what Gannon is looking for out of the wideout this week?

“What I need from him is to make sure he can be the player he is and help us win the game and make sure he’s healthy enough to do that,” the head coach added.

Garrett Williams “should be ready to go”

Rookie cornerback Garrett Williams had to wait for his number to be called as he wrapped up his rehab from a torn ACL suffered last year in college.

So, when Williams was listed as out with a knee injury this past week, concern was there.

Gannon, however, doesn’t seem too worried about his rookie nickel.

“We’ll see how he is this week. He should be ready to go,” Gannon said. “It’s just a little bit of the same body part but a little bit different.

“When you’re coming off an injury like he did, there’s some residual effects of playing how much he’s played in the last month here that we need to take care of.”

After missing the first six games of the season, Williams started in five of the next eight contests before sitting out in Week 16. During that span, he recorded 23 tackles, one interception and two passes defensed.

He’s been one of the many bright spots coming out of the 2023 draft class for general Monti Ossenfort and Co.

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