Cardinals Rule Starter Out vs Jets

The Arizona Cardinals will be without one of their starting safeties.

Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson (34) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

GLENDALE -- The Arizona Cardinals will be without starting safety Jalen Thompson ahead of their Week 10 matchup against the New York Jets.

Thompson was deemed inactive along with Darius Robinson, Julian Okwara, Christian Jones, Travis Vokolek and Xavier Weaver.

Today’s inactives for #NYJvsAZ

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 10, 2024

With the Cardinals activating DB Divaad Wilson yesterday, Thompson's absence was expected.

This will be Thompson's first game missed all season after starting the first nine games for Arizona. To date, he's logged 56 tackles, two passes defensed and one fumble recovered.

Thompson has been one of the more underrated safeties in the league, mostly thanks to the Cardinals' lack of success and Thompson next to Budda Baker.

With Thompson out, life will be even tough for the Cardinals trying to defend Aaron Rodgers.

“You just know certain things that you can do and certain things you can't, but every team is different. He's on a new team, we're on a new team. You've got different pieces, different players, different schemes, but you take some of your experience," Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said of Rodgers during the week.

"You're not going to trick him, you're not going to fool him, you're not going to hit him. You have to affect him as much as you can, and you have to play good in the back end.”

Arizona may look to have either Joey Blount or Dadrion Taylor-Demerson start in his place.

“It’s definitely exciting but at the same time, every single week, I prepare just as much as Budda and JT do to be on the field," Taylor-Demerson told reporters this week on potentially starting.

"Unfortunately, this is one of the scenarios. Honestly, it’s me just going and doing my job."

Taylor-Demerson shined in preseason play while the Cardinals rested their starters, though he's played just 9% of defensive snaps this season.

Blount - who has played nearly 70% of special teams snaps for Arizona - has just 14 plays on defense thus far.

The Cardinals aim to extend their winning streak to four games ahead of their bye week. Kickoff is at 2:25 PM AZ Time.

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