The play that ended Paris Johnson Jr.'s season came with the Arizona Cardinals at the New York 4 in the final seconds. Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter worked around the left tackle on the last drive of Sunday's 36-24 loss, and as Johnson tried to recover he reached for his left arm, azcardinals.com reported.
On Monday, coach Mike LaFleur confirmed a torn left biceps. Johnson goes on injured reserve and will have surgery.
"I don't know exactly when it's going to happen, but it's going to happen soon to get the process going," LaFleur said, according to the Associated Press. "It sucks for him, first and foremost. It sucks obviously for the Arizona Cardinals, our offense, this team. But it's NFL football, here we are in October and the show goes on."
A third straight year cut short
Johnson, 25, went sixth overall in the 2023 draft after his career at Ohio State and has made 47 starts across four seasons, including all four this fall, the AP reported.
The team's website noted this is the third consecutive year an injury has ended his season early. Arizona exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie contract this spring, and the team site said talks about a longer extension could shift now that he is out for the year.
The rookie steps in
The replacement is Jayden Williams, a 6-foot-4, 307-pound seventh-round pick from Mississippi who took over at left tackle after Johnson left Sunday's game. Before that, his offensive work had come as an extra blocker in heavy formations, 19 snaps in all, Arizona Sports reported.
"Jayden will slot in at left tackle," LaFleur told Arizona Sports' Burns & Gambo. "We got a lot of confidence in this young man. He's wise beyond his years. He's going to get a start a little quicker than we were anticipating but here we are."
Josh Fryar, Johnson's teammate at Ohio State, is the other option. He played both tackle spots in 12 games last season, per azcardinals.com, but Arizona Sports said he has appeared in one game this year and was a healthy inactive in New York.
The right side is unsettled too. Guard Isaiah Adams left on a cart with an ankle injury. LaFleur did not officially rule him out for Sunday, the team site reported, and Jon Gaines II will start if Adams cannot play.
