Overview
- Head coach Mike LaFleur confirmed that rookie defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor tore a meniscus during OTAs and faces a lengthy recovery that could keep him out for the 2026 season.
- Proctor was the Cardinals’ only defensive lineman taken in the 2026 draft and arrived from Southeastern Louisiana after a breakout 2025 season that included 43 tackles and nine sacks.
- Proctor remains unsigned to his rookie contract, a detail that complicates evaluation and roster decisions for a team that has not yet finalized all of its draft class deals.
- Arizona currently projects Roy Lopez and Walter Nolen III as its starting interior tackles but Nolen is himself coming off knee surgery, and the team has added veterans such as Andrew Billings for depth.
- The injury increases pressure on a Cardinals defense that finished near the bottom of the league last season and makes short-term moves on the free-agent or depth market more likely as the team protects Proctor’s long-term health.