The Arizona Cardinals received encouraging updates on their Week 17 injury report as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Rams.
Punter Michael Palardy returned to practice on Wednesday after missing Tuesday’s session due to illness. Palardy, who is replacing the injured Blake Gillikin for the rest of the season, resumed his duties, providing stability to the Cardinals’ special teams.
However, safety Joey Blount (ribs) and cornerback Elijah Jones (ankle) remained absent from practice for the second consecutive day. Both players will likely need full participation in Thursday’s session to have a chance at playing on Saturday.
A more promising development was the presence of several other key players on the field. James Conner (knee), Trey Benson (ankle), Darius Robinson (calf), Kelvin Beachum (rest), Evan Brown (neck), Baron Browning (neck), Matt Prater (knee), and Mack Wilson Sr. (concussion) all participated in Wednesday’s practice. Particularly notable was Wilson, who was spotted in a regular jersey rather than a non-contact one, signaling significant progress in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
The Rams, in contrast, have reported minimal injuries. After a clean report on Tuesday, only offensive lineman Rob Havenstein (shoulder) was listed as limited during Wednesday’s practice, reflecting a healthy roster heading into Saturday’s matchup.
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon acknowledged the challenge of facing the Rams, a team currently playing at a high level. “It seems like a long time ago when we played the Rams in Week 2, but they’re a good football team,” Gannon remarked. “They protect the ball, play good defense, and have been playing really clean football in their recent games. That’s the challenge—to match that and play our brand of football to have a chance to win.”
While the Cardinals are out of the playoff race, they still have an opportunity to impact the NFC West standings by preventing the Rams from clinching the division. Both teams will hold one final practice on Thursday before determining player statuses for Saturday’s game at SoFi Stadium.
