The Arizona Cardinals defeated the New York Jets by a score of 30-10 in Week 5 but lost linebacker Chandler Jones for the rest of the season to a bicep injury that requires surgery.
This is a huge blow to Arizona’s defense, as the Cardinals do not look to have many other significant pass rushers to replace Jones’ production. It also may have important ramifications for the Seahawks, as they still have to play the Cardinals twice.
Jones had a career year in 2019, finishing as the runner-up in the race for Defensive Player of the Year and recording 19 sacks and eight forced fumbles among other notable stats. Throughout 2020, he only logged 11 combined tackles, seven QB hits, and one sack over five games, but losing him for the season may still force Arizona to scramble for options to replace him, particularly in regards to rushing the passer.
While it is never pleasing to see a player go down, Seattle may have an easier time protecting Russell Wilson against the Cardinals due to this recent development, although nothing is a guarantee in the NFL.
