The Arizona Cardinals took a commanding 27-9 third-quarter lead against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. However, the club lost two key defenders in the contest due to injury. Their availability for Week 3 will likely be up in the air moving forward.
Cornerback Max Melton and defensive lineman L.J. Collier both suffered knee injuries on Sunday. After initially being questionable, the Cardinals were quick to rule both players out early in the fourth quarter.
“The Cardinals downgraded CB Max Melton (knee) and DL L.J. Collier (knee) to out for the rest of the game.”
Melton, who is 23 years old, is a second-year cornerback for the Cardinals. He played in all 17 games last season, rotating in as a backup. The former second-round draft pick is deemed a key piece of the defense after he earned one of the starting roles in training camp. He finished last season with 51 combined tackles (36 solo), five pass deflections, and a forced fumble. Hopefully, it's not a serious knee injury, and Melton can return to action sooner, rather than later.
As for Collier, he's a veteran defensive lineman who was a starter in Arizona last season. The Cardinals look to him to provide consistency within the trenches. So, not having him in the lineup is less-than-ideal. Especially if his knee injury affects him moving forward. Collier ended the 2024-25 campaign with 29 combined tackles (13 solo), 3.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery.
Look for the Cardinals to provide injury updates for both Melton and Collier in the coming days. Arizona is set to take on the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC West rivalry matchup in Week 3.
