Dec 7, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of the jersey of Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Cardinals Rule 3 Starters Out vs Bengals

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Dec 26, 2025 1:11 PM ET

The Arizona Cardinals will be without some key players in Week 17.

All of Budda Baker, Paris Johnson Jr. and Kei'Trel Clark will not go, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon.

The Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals will officially reveal game statuses such as probable, out or doubtful later today after both teams practice on Friday.

This comes days after Arizona placed fellow starters in Garrett Williams and Walter Nolen III on injured reserve, ending their season.

Cardinals at Bengals will kickoff at 11:00 AM MST on Sunday.

More on Arizona Cardinals Injuries

Johnson has been dealing with an MCL sprain for a few games now, and while reports initially suggested he would be week-to-week, it seems unlikely Arizona will risk their franchise left tackle playing the remainder of the regular season -- especially with a 3-12 record.

Josh Fryar could see starting snaps at tackle opposite of Kelvin Beachum.

Baker initially exited Sunday's game against Atlanta with a concussion but passed protocol and re-entered action. However, Gannon told reporters this week symptoms resurfaced. If healthy, Jalen Thompson and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson will anchor Arizona's two safety spots.

Clark, with Williams out, had gotten some run as a slot cornerback with Will Johnson and Denzel Burke on the outside. He previously played a lot of time in his rookie season before falling out of favor with the coaching staff, as the Cardinals brought in numerous fresh faces over the last two seasons.

Darren Hall could likely see some run at corner and safety, as he's capable of playing both spots.

It's been a tough season for the Cardinals and their injury history, as both sides of the ball have been tested to lengths previously unseen in the desert.

"It's kind of hard for me to do that right now just because I'm still in it. I don't want to give an assessment (because) I still have two more weeks (to play). For us as a group, I think overall it's just — what I can say is this group has been battle tested," Gannon said.

"(We) may not have gotten the results at the end that we would like (or) people would like, but guys are still finding ways to persevere (and) fight through adversity. That's what you want to learn for life. Being an older player on the team, being one of the 'vets' and being able to point that out to the guys — you don't want to lose out on a season where it's kind of like, 'Dang, we just lost everything.' That's not true.

"There have been some wins — life wins. Whether it's personal (wins or) team wins that you just don't want to let go to waste. I think that's one of the more important ones that I think these guys need to, myself included, understand."