ClutchPoints
The Arizona Cardinals received an unfortunate news Wednesday when head coach Mike LaFleur announced that rookie defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor has a torn meniscus, an injury sustained during OTAs. The fourth-round selection, taken at No. 104 overall in April’s draft, was absent from Tuesday’s minicamp session before the diagnosis became public.
LaFleur stopped short of ruling out the possibility that Proctor’s injury could force him out for the entire 2026 campaign, confirming the rookie faces a lengthy recovery timeline. Proctor and quarterback Carson Beck remain the only members of Arizona’s draft class who have not yet signed their rookie contracts.
Proctor arrived in the desert after a decorated career at Southeastern Louisiana, where he piled up 43 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and nine sacks in 2025. That production earned him consensus Division I-FCS All-American honors and Southland Conference Player of the Year recognition, and he became the first FCS prospect taken in this year’s draft.
The setback stings for a franchise that did little to bolster a defense that finished 31st in the league last season. Proctor was the only defensive lineman the Cardinals drafted, and the team lost veteran Calais Campbell to the Baltimore Ravens in free agency.
Arizona did re-sign Roy Lopez following his run with the Detroit Lions and added Andrew Billings and Jonah Williams, but uncertainty hangs over recent first-round picks Walter Nolen and Darius Robinson.
Nolen’s rookie year was wrecked by injuries, as a calf issue kept him out until Week 8 before a knee injury ended his season after just six games and required surgery. Robinson, meanwhile, graded out as Pro Football Focus’ worst interior defensive lineman among 127 qualifiers in his second season.
There was a silver lining from LaFleur’s press conference. Cornerback Garrett Williams, who tore his Achilles in Week 16 and underwent late-season surgery, is on schedule to participate in training camp with Week 1 as a realistic target. The 2023 third-rounder out of Syracuse, who has served as the Cardinals primary slot corner for three years and played at least 75% of defensive snaps in each of the last two seasons, is entering a contract year.
LaFleur acknowledged that other players dealt with minor spring injuries, but none are expected to linger into camp as defensive coordinator Nick Rallis works to turn the unit around.
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