Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Dennis Gardeck has suffered a season-ending ACL injury during Monday’s victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, as reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The specific knee affected by the injury has not been disclosed.
Gardeck, who has led the Cardinals with three sacks this season, previously tore his right ACL in 2020, marking the second time he injured that knee. This past injury cut short a promising season where he achieved a career-high seven sacks. Though he played 14 games the following year, it took him some time to regain his form, resulting in no sacks in 2021 and just one in 2022. However, he rebounded last season, recording six sacks and a career-best 46 tackles under new head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Initially an undrafted rookie, Gardeck made the Cardinals’ roster in 2018 as a special teams player and off-ball linebacker during the Steve Wilks era. He transitioned to outside linebacker under Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, and he has served as a captain for the team from 2020 to 2023.
With Gardeck’s injury, the Cardinals’ pass rush depth has been further challenged. They had already lost anticipated starting outside linebacker BJ Ojulari before the season, leaving Gardeck and Zaven Collins to share the workload. Before his injury, Gardeck contributed significantly with three sacks, a forced fumble, and six tackles for loss. Collins has added one sack and four tackles for loss, ranking second on the team.
Next in line to fill the gap are midseason acquisition Julian Okwara and 2022 seventh-round pick Jesse Luketa. The Cardinals are also looking for more pass rush support from their interior linemen. Tackle Dante Stills has recorded two sacks, matching Naquan Jones, both of whom have seen increased playing time due to injuries to starters Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols, who are out for the season.
Additionally, the team anticipates the return of rookie first-round pick Darius Robinson, who has been on injured reserve since the start of the season due to a calf injury but had his practice window opened on October 9.
