3 Major Takeaways From Arizona Cardinals' Roster Cuts

Prior to the roster being revealed, a couple names were reportedly dropped from the team that surprised those covering and following the team.

Many believed WR Simi Fehoko stamped his way onto the final 53 with his preseason performance - especially drawing some hefty praise from head coach Jonathan Gannon.

It didn't quite work out that way, however - as Fehoko announced on his own TikTok page the Cardinals were sending him to waivers. Especially thanks to his special teams acumen, the move to not retain the former Chargers wideout was certainly something.

The versatility of Darren Hall to play either safety or cornerback on top of his preseason production again led some to believe he'd repeat 2024 and be on the initial 53 - though the Cardinals had other plans.

Also, Surprise Survivors

Raise your hand if you had Bam Knight beating out Michael Carter and DeeJay Dallas to secure a roster spot.

Now put it down, liar.

Knight's explosive plays in preseason helped give way to one of the biggest surprises on the actual roster, as Dallas played a strong role on special teams and Carter was considered to be one of the best pure runners in the group.

Obviously Knight's big preseason pushed him to an active roster spot, where he showed a little of everything from having home-run hitting capabilities as a rusher to special teams play.

It was also a pleasure to see Will Hernandez emerge on the active roster given his injury status. Hernandez - after signing with Arizona - was instantly moved to PUP and didn't participate in any practices or games.

The move to the active roster means he can hit the grass as soon as tomorrow - and more importantly, he should be fully ready to play by Week 3 or 4 considering the team moved him off PUP - giving the Cardinals a much needed boost within the locker room and depth in the interior OL.

Young Pieces Still on the Mend

BJ Ojulari and Walter Nolen both landed on PUP - meaning they'll miss at minimum the first four games of the 2025 regular season.

That's disheartening in both cases.

Ojulari clearly is nowhere near ready after suffering a major knee injury last training camp. The hope would be for him to have been cleared by now, though Ojulari still hasn't seen the practice field. Levels of concern around his short and long-term future in Arizona are now justified.

As for Nolen, it appears the Cardinals are just being extra cautious with their rookie first-round pick, though early reports after his calf injury was announced indicated he might've been ready for Week 1 - and that's clearly not the case.

Some have speculated he suffered a setback. Perhaps the Cardinals are just being safe to extreme extents.

Either way the cookie crumbles, it's certainly not a positive Nolen's set to miss more time than previously hoped.