Dec 7, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals injured defensive lineman Walter Nolen III against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Walter Nolen's Cardinals Actual Injury Revealed in Surprising Way

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Apr 2, 2026 4:05 PM ET

The Arizona Cardinals move into the 2026 offseason with a mix of depth and hopeful building blocks for the future under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur — though the presence of Walter Nolen III ranks among the most promising on the team.

Arizona's first-round pick began his season on reserve/PUP with a calf injury, eventually making his return in November (Week 9) before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 16.

That knee injury and the specifics around it wasn't revealed, which has been common practice in Arizona.

However, the public recently learned Nolen's knee injury was a meniscus and not the previously feared ACL tear thanks to.... a TikTok posted by his girlfriend. Months ago.

During a video posted back in January, Nolen's girlfriend (ttyler.nelson on TikTok) posted a video which eventually showed a chair sitting in their shower.

"This is a chair in the shower because he tore his meniscus and had to get surgery, and so now this is how he showers," she said.

Nolen would have been in the running for defensive rookie of the year honors had he been healthy for a full 17 games, as the small sample size we saw of the Ole Miss product displayed every bit of promise as a dominant defensive lineman at the NFL level.

In six games, Nolen accrued 11 tackles (5 TFL), two sacks and two passes defensed.

✅ First NFL Game
✅ First Sack for Walter Nolen III

ESPN pic.twitter.com/mlKstxy0gM
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 4, 2025

Nolen didn't receive a specific injury update from Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur at the NFL owners meetings when asked:

“I’m not gonna get into the specifics of exactly what he had, I just know he’s looking good," LaFleur told reporters this week.

While no injury news is quite great, Cardinals fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief knowing Nolen's ACL is still intact. This also should place Nolen on track to be ready for the 2026 season, as the typical recovery time from meniscus surgery is 4-6 months.

Six months from January would mark a July return, which would place Nolen on track to participate in training camp. Arizona, due to their participation in the Hall of Fame game, will begin training camp earlier than the rest of the league.

Nolen's injury will likely be juggled with caution, especially considering his youth and obvious talent displayed on the field.

When Nolen does eventually get fully healthy, he'll anchor a Cardinals defensive front that desperately needs him to show what he did in the little glimpses we saw in 2025.

This article first appeared on Arizona Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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