A veteran joined Arizona’s tackle room Tuesday, but the rookie kept the first assignment. The Cardinals signed Jedrick Wills Jr. from Buffalo’s practice squad after placing Paris Johnson Jr. on injured reserve. The move gave the team another experienced option at left tackle without changing the plan already established for rookie Jayden Williams.
For Arizona’s offense, the distinction is consequential. Wills supplies insurance behind Williams, who remains the announced starter. The Cardinals have expanded their choices without asking the newcomer to lead the position immediately.
The day began at 1:03 p.m., when Arizona placed Paris Johnson Jr. and tight end Hunter Long on injured reserve. Johnson’s move created the immediate left-tackle opening; Long’s placement affected an entirely different position group. Nearly three hours later, Wills arrived as the experienced addition to the tackle room, while Mike LaFleur’s announcement continued to identify Williams as the player expected to start.
For a rookie, that is a meaningful opportunity. For the Cardinals, it is also a practical gamble. Williams has the first responsibility for handling the speed of an NFL edge rusher, sorting pressure communication and keeping the quarterback’s blind side organized through a full game. A veteran added behind him can improve the choices available to Arizona, but it cannot perform those assignments in advance.
Wills brings a substantial résumé. Cleveland selected him in the first round, and he became a regular starter there. But the more recent timeline is uneven: a knee injury against Arizona ended his 2023 season, he played five games in 2024, and he spent 2025 rehabilitating.
Chicago released him in 2026 after a back issue, and he subsequently landed on Buffalo’s practice squad before the Cardinals signed him.
That background makes the move understandable while also arguing against instant conclusions. Wills has NFL starting experience and familiarity with the daily demands of the position. He also has not arrived after a long stretch of uninterrupted, fully established production. Arizona has acquired a player with a credible past, not proof that he is immediately prepared to take every left-tackle snap.
The counterpoint is that Williams’ promotion carries its own uncertainty. If the rookie struggles, the Cardinals will want a choice beyond a roster that already includes Josh Fryar, a second-year reserve who entered the league undrafted. Wills gives the staff a more experienced alternative if the position requires an adjustment. That is genuine roster value even if he never displaces Williams in the opening plan.
Still, depth is often praised too broadly. It can protect a team from having one injury dictate every subsequent decision, but it does not automatically repair pass protection. The line will have to communicate, handle movement at the snap and prevent pressure from turning the offense into a sequence of emergency throws.
