ClutchPoints
The Arizona Cardinals’ nightmare afternoon in Seattle got even worse when veteran wide receiver Zay Jones went down with what appears to be a season-ending Achilles injury. Jones went to the turf after a second-quarter incompletion in the end zone, clutching his lower left leg before being carted off the field. Trainers immediately ruled him out, and the team later confirmed it was an Achilles injury.
The injury came midway through the second quarter with the Cardinals trailing the Seahawks 38-7, as quarterback Jacoby Brissett attempted a pass to Jones near the back of the end zone. After the incompletion, Jones grabbed his left leg, visibly in pain, before collapsing. The replay showed what looked like an Achilles rupture — a tough blow for a player who had just begun carving out a consistent role in Jonathan Gannon’s offense.
Jones finishes what could now be his final season stat line at 12 catches on 18 targets for 183 yards. While those numbers may not leap off the page, his versatility made him a valuable asset to Arizona’s young receiving corps. He had won a starting role ahead of Greg Dortch and brought veteran reliability to a lineup led by rookies Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson.
Gannon had recently praised Jones for his consistency and football IQ, saying, “He does his job. He’s in the right spot. He can play three spots. He’s fast and he’s explosive.” The Cardinals’ head coach will now have to rely on depth options like Simi Fehoko to help fill the void moving forward.
Jones, who returned to Arizona this past offseason after first signing in 2024, spoke earlier in the year about how much he valued the team’s culture and mutual trust. “It’s beautiful to have support from not only your coaches but your peers,” he said. “You have this commitment for a common goal. That’s what makes this team unique.”
Unfortunately for Jones and the Cardinals, his season may have ended on a devastating note. The 29-year-old was brought in to stabilize a developing offense, but Arizona’s struggles against the Seahawks highlight just how far the team still has to go.
As Gannon said earlier in the week, “This is the best defense that we’ve played. It’ll be a big-time challenge, especially at their place.” That challenge proved to be too much, and now the Cardinals leave Seattle not only battered on the scoreboard but possibly without one of their key offensive leaders for the rest of the year.
The post Cardinals lose key receiver to Achilles injury during Seahawks rout appeared first on ClutchPoints.
