The Arizona Cardinals hope to advance to a 3-1 record on Thursday night when they take on the Seattle Seahawks. After receiving bad injury news in recent days, Arizona finally got an inspiring update. This time featuring the star left tackle, Paris Johnson Jr.
Reports indicate that Johnson, who is 24 years old, is expected to play in the “Thursday Night Football” contest against the Seahawks, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Johnson has been dealing with a knee injury and was originally listed as questionable heading into the matchup.
“Cardinals left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. (questionable, knee) is expected to play tonight vs. Seahawks, per source. Johnson missed last week’s game but [is] slated to return for TNF.”
This is big news, not just for the Cardinals but for quarterback Kyler Murray as well. After missing the 16-15 Week 3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Murray will have his star left tackle protecting his blind side against the Seahawks. Johnson initially suffered the knee injury in the 27-22 Week 2 win over the Carolina Panthers.
The Cardinals picked Paris Johnson Jr. No. 6 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. He's been a consistent option on the offensive line the previous two seasons, and that trend should continue as long as he remains healthy. The former Ohio State Buckeye is considered one of the best pass-blocking left tackles in the league, as he owns an 87.7 PFF grade in pass blocking so far this season. That's third-best in the league right now.
However, his run-block grade of 57.4 suggests he's a liability when the Cardinals run the ball, and it brings his overall PFF grade down to 70.5. Although that is the case, Arizona will rely on Paris Johnson Jr. on Thursday, as he will play a key role in slowing down the Seahawks' pass rush.
The Cardinals and Seahawks kick off at 8:15 p.m. EST on Thursday and will take place in Arizona. It will be the second home game for the Cardinals this season.
