Skip to main content
Animated graphic with red background and information about Seahawks @ Cardinals
Advertising

Arizona Cardinals Home: The official source of the latest Cardinals headlines, news, videos, photos, tickets, rosters and game day information

Haason Reddick Move Aids Chandler Jones' Quest For Sacks

Notes: Kyler Murray keeps working toward playing; Fitzgerald's game No. 250

Linebacker Haason Reddick rushes the passer during the win in Seattle last weekend.
Linebacker Haason Reddick rushes the passer during the win in Seattle last weekend.

Chandler Jones was already on his way to a gigantic year sacking the quarterback, but he might've gotten a late-season boost from Haason Reddick's move to outside linebacker.

Jones, who has 19 sacks going into the season finale Sunday, flipped from the strongside outside linebacker to the weakside outside linebacker once Terrell Suggs was released and Reddick was employed as the new guy on the strong side, especially in passing situations.

Jones was the better player to drop into coverage when Suggs was around, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Thursday, estimating that Jones dropped about 12 percent of the time before the switch and taking away 40 to 45 pass rushing snaps. Add those in, and perhaps Jones would have another couple of sacks.

"It speaks to the year (Chandler) has had," Joseph said.

Reddick is "in a good place" at outside linebacker, Joseph added, because now there are fewer details for Reddick to focus on.

"You saw it with Russell Wilson scrambling on Sunday," Joseph said. "Haason has the speed to run those guys down. He's happy because he's in his natural position. Hopefully moving forward he gets better and better, he learns the drops, he learns all the blitzes so he can be a real guy for us."

With Reddick a better match for Jones than Suggs, the 2017 first-round pick now figures to head into the offseason with a chance to become Jones' permanent partner. Joseph wasn't going that far yet, citing Reddick's learning curve with the defense at his new spot – albeit with an offseason to try – and a probable need to add size to his current 6-foot-1, 240-pound frame.

"It's possible," Joseph said. "He's not the ideal profile but it's possible."

KYLER MURRAY STILL LIMITED AS HE WORKS TOWARD SUNDAY

Quarterback Kyler Murray was limited again in practice Thursday, doing some positional drills during the open portion to media. Coach Kliff Kingsbury has said a couple of times Murray's status is probably going to come down to game day with his injured hamstring.

Tight end Charles Clay (calf) and tight end Darrell Daniels (biceps) were the only Cardinals to not practice. Jones (thumb), safety Charles Washington (calf), safety Budda Baker (quadriceps) and guard Justin Pugh (back) joined Murray as limited.

For the Rams, six players didn't practice: Defensive end Michael Brockers (knee), running back Darrell Henderson Jr. (ankle), cornerback Troy Hill (thumb), cornerback Jalen Ramsey (knee), tackle Andrew Whitworth (knee) and wide receiver Michael Thomas (illness). Wide receiver Nsimba Webster (concussion) was limited.

FITZGERALD CLOSES IN ON GAME NO. 250

Whether Larry Fitzgerald will add to his growing list of stats with another season in 2020 is still to be determined. But he is a lock to play Sunday in the finale, the 250th game of his career.

Fitzgerald will become only the 13th player in NFL history to play 250 games with one team. Kicker Jason Hanson played 327 games with the Lions to top the list, with offensive lineman Bruce Matthews second with 296 for the Houston/Tennessee franchise. Fitzgerald will be the first wide receiver to accomplish the feat.

"It's been more than 250," Fitzgerald said. "You're not counting all the preseason games, the playoff games."

Besides, Fitzgerald said, it doesn't feel like that many anyway.

"It's gone by really quick," he said. "I still get the jitters when I go out there. It means a lot."

Related Content

Advertising