- A former undrafted free agent out of Sioux Falls (2018), is a four-time team captain and two-time Pro Bowl alternate (2019, 2022) who re-signed with Arizona on a three-year contract in March of 2022.
- Named a team captain for the fourth-consecutive season in 2023 and started eight of 17 games played. Totaled 41 tackles, a team-high 6.0 sacks, a team-high 12 QB hits, seven tackles for loss, four passes defensed and a forced fumble while also tallying five tackles and a fumble recovery on special teams.
- His eight starts, 41 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 12 QB hits and four passes defensed in 2023 were all career highs.
- After totaling 6.0 sacks in '23, reached 14.0 sacks for his career. That represents the most in franchise history by a player who entered the league undrafted.
- Named a team captain for the third-straight year in 2022, appeared in 14 games (three starts) and totaled 21 tackles, a sack, his first career INT, a pass defensed, five QB hits, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
- In addition to his play on defense, led Arizona with 10 special teams tackles in 2022. Marked the third time in his first four seasons (2022, 2021, 2019) he led or tied for the team lead in special teams tackles.
- Named a team captain for the first time in his career in 2020. After not playing a snap on defense in his first two seasons, earned a spot in the rotation in '20 and responded with 7.0 sacks, seven tackles for loss and 10 QB hits in just 93 defensive snaps played. He set a new franchise single-season record for the most sacks by a player who entered the league undrafted.
- Named a Pro Bowl alternate on special teams in 2019 after posting a team-high 10 tackles and a fumble recovery.
- The Cardinals 2019 and 2023 Salute to Service nominee, has consistently been the Cardinals most active player in the community.
Signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted rookie free agent on 4/30/18. Signed a one-year tender as a restricted free agent to remain with the Cardinals on 4/15/21. Re-signed with Arizona on a three-year contract on 3/14/22.
2023: Played all 17 games for the first time in his career, including a career-high eight starts ... led the team with 6.0 sacks ... had career highs with 41 tackles, 12 QB hits, seven tackles for loss, four passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery ... had four tackles, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble in the season opener @ Was (9/10) marking the fourth multi-sack game of his career; his two sacks of Commanders QB Sam Howell resulted in a loss of 32 yards and marked his first career game with a sack and a forced fumble ... had four tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack vs. NYG (9/17); became just the second Cardinal since 2006 to have 3.0+ sacks through the first two games of a season (DL Chandler Jones - 5.0 in 2021 and 3.0 in 2017) ... had two tackles (one for loss) and a quarterback hit vs. Dal (9/24) ... brought down QB Brock Purdy for a 12-yard sack @ SF (10/1) ... had a pair of tackles vs. Cin (10/8) ... had two tackles (one for loss) @ LAR (10/15) ... had four tackles on defense and recovered a fumble on special teams @ Sea (10/22) ... recorded one tackle on defense and one on special teams vs. Bal (10/29) ... had one tackle on defense and one on special teams @ Cle (11/5) ... had five tackles, one pass defensed and a seven-yard sack of Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke vs. Atl (11/12); the sack gave him a team-high 5.0 this season and 13.0 career sacks, which is the most in franchise history by a player who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent ... had three tackles on defense and one tackle on special teams @ Hou (11/19) ... had two tackles and two QB hits vs. LAR (11/26) ... had two QB hits and two passes defensed @ Pit (12/3) ... had two tackles vs. SF (12/17) ... registered two tackles and a sack of QB Justin Fields @ Chi (12/24) ... had one tackle @ Phi (12/31) ... registered two tackles and one pass defensed vs. Sea (1/7/24).
2022: Named a Pro Bowl alternate as a special teamer for the second time in his career after posting a team-high 10 special teams tackles in 14 games ... voted a team captain for the third consecutive season and collected 21 tackles (14 solo), his first career INT, a pass defensed, 1.0 sack, four QB hurries and a forced fumble ... had two tackles, a QB hit, and forced a fumble on defense and also added two special teams tackles in the season opener vs. KC (9/11) ... tallied four tackles in overtime win @ LV (9/18) ... had two tackles and one special teams tackle vs. LAR (9/25) ... totaled two tackles, a sack, a TFL, a pass defensed, three special teams tackles and made his first career INT in the Cardinals win @ Car (10/2) ... recorded one tackle and one QB hit vs. Phi (10/9) ... inactive (ankle) vs. NO (10/20) ... inactive (ankle) @ MIN (10/30) ... inactive (ankle) vs. Sea (11/6) ... played in Cardinals win @ LAR (11/13) ... had a tackle vs. SF (11/21) ... started at OLB @ Atl (1/1/23) and recorded four tackles and one tackle for loss ... played in the season finale @ SF (1/8/23) had three assisted tackles, one special teams tackle and one TFL.
2021: Named a team captain for the second consecutive season and appeared in 14 games, making his first three career starts ... totaled 14 tackles (11 solo), a tackle for loss, four QB hits and one fumble recovery on defense and added a team-best 13 tackles (seven solo) on special teams coverage ... placed on injured reserve (hand) on 9/11, designated for return on 9/29 and activated on 10/2 ... tallied two tackles (both solo) for a defense that held the Texans to just 42 rushing yards and shut them out in the second half vs. Hou (10/24); he also added a tackle on special teams ... registered two tackles and added a tackle for loss on third down to force a Packers punt in the second quarter vs. Green Bay (10/28) ... tallied two tackles (one solo) on special teams and added a solo tackle for a defense that held the NFL's 10th-ranked rushing offense to just 39 yards on 11 carries @ SF (11/7) ... registered two solo tackles on special teams and saw action on defense for a unit that held the Seahawks to just 13 points and has allowed 20 or fewer points an NFL-leading eight games through Week 11 @ Sea (11/21) ... registered a tackle on special teams and had three solo tackles for a defense whose +112 point differential on the road leads the NFL this season through Week 13 @ Chi (12/5); downed an Andy Lee punt at the Chicago two-yard line resulting in a Cardinals INT on the ensuing defensive series ... tallied one solo tackle, one QB hit and one fumble recovery on defense and added three tackles (two solo) on special teams @ Dal (1/2/22) ... registered a solo tackle on kickoff coverage in his playoff debut @ LAR (1/17/22).
2020: Named a team captain for the first time in his career and had nine tackles, 7.0 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 10 QB hits and a fumble recovery in just 93 defensive snaps while adding nine special teams tackles ... established a single-season franchise record for the most sacks by a player who entered the league undrafted ... returned a blocked punt to the 49ers 10-yard line, setting up a TD on the next play in the season opener @ SF (9/13) ... had a tackle on kickoff coverage and another stop on punt team vs. Was (9/20) ... matched a career high with three special teams tackles @ Car (10/4) ... earned a game ball after registering a team-high 2.0 sacks while filling in for an injured Chandler Jones @ NYJ (10/11); brought down Joe Flacco on second-and-11 and third-and-10, marking his first multi-sack performance since 10/21/17 while playing for Sioux Falls ... notched one tackle and a QB hit, nearly sacking Andy Dalton in the Dallas end zone on Monday Night Football @ Dal (10/19) ... matched a career high with two QB hits in 12 defensive snaps on Thursday Night Football @ Sea (11/19) ... played just three defensive snaps but sacked Jared Goff for a seven-yard loss on third-and-nine to force a Rams punt in the first quarter vs. LAR (12/6) ... recorded two tackles, 2.0 sacks and his first career defensive fumble recovery in just eight snaps @ NYG (12/13) ... recorded three tackles, 2.0 sacks, two tackles for loss, two QB hits and added two tackles on special teams vs. Phi (12/20); marked his second consecutive game with 2.0 sacks ... placed on injured reserve (knee) on 12/25.
2019: Named a Pro Bowl alternate as a special teamer after posting a team-high 10 tackles and a fumble recovery on special teams in 14 games ... added two tackles on defense and was inactive (ankle) for two games ... deflected a Lions punt that traveled just 11 yards with less than three minutes remaining in regulation to set up the Cardinals game-tying TD drive vs. Det (9/8); also had a special teams tackle against the Lions ... tallied two special teams tackles, one on punt coverage and another on kickoff team @ Bal (9/15) ... registered a career-high three special teams tackles and deflected a punt in the third quarter @ NYG (10/20) ... notched one special teams tackle @ NO (10/27) ... tallied a special teams tackle on punt coverage vs. SF (10/31) ... recovered a fumble that was forced on a fake punt at the Steelers 32-yard line, leading to a Cardinals TD three plays later in the fourth quarter vs. Pit (12/8); also notched one tackle on defense and two tackles on special teams against the Steelers ... had two tackles on punt coverage and stopped Nick Scott short of the first down marker on a fake punt attempt, which led to a Cardinals TD two players later @ LAR (12/29).
2018: Saw action in all 16 games, had eight special teams tackles and led all NFL rookies with 388 special teams snaps … made his NFL debut on special teams in the season opener vs. Was (9/9) … notched his first career special teams tackle @ LAR (9/16) … tackled Rashaad Penny on a kickoff return vs. Sea (9/30) … tackled Marcus Sherels after a five-yard punt return following the Cardinals first possession of the game @ Min (10/14) … tallied two special teams tackles vs. SF (10/28) … dropped Tyreek Hill for a two-yard loss at the Chiefs 18-yard line on punt coverage @ KC (11/11) … recovered a loose ball in the Seattle end zone for his first career TD after Cameron Malveaux blocked a punt at the Seahawks 25-yard line with 21 seconds left in the third quarter @ Sea (12/30); also tackled Tyler Lockett on a kickoff and deflected a punt that led to an Arizona TD earlier in the game.
Recorded 345 tackles, 32 sacks, 57.5 tackles for loss, nine forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one INT in three seasons at West Virginia State and one at Sioux Falls … played three seasons at WVSU before transferring to Sioux Falls in 2017 as a graduate transfer ... named to five Division II All-America teams as a senior in 2017 after leading the Cougars with 14 sacks, 75 tackles and 21 tackles for loss to go along with two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery … selected as a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award (Small College Defensive Player of the Year) and nominated for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the DII Player of the Year in 2017, while earning first-team All-NSIC and NSIC Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors … as a junior at West Virginia State in 2016, named second-team All-Mountain East after collecting 111 tackles, three sacks, four forced fumbles and seven tackles for loss … named first-team All-Mountain East as a sophomore in 2015 after posting 102 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, eight passes defensed, three forced fumbles, an INT and a fumble recovery.
Attended Crystal Lake (IL) South High School where he earned All-Fox Valley Conference and All-Area honors as a senior linebacker ... also earned second-team all-conference honors as a defenseman in lacrosse … following high school, attended Division II West Virginia State University for three seasons before spending his final college season at Sioux Falls as a graduate transfer; kept himself busy off the field during his college days, earning a degree from West Virginia State while also working at McDonald's and Panda Express; used the work to pay for gas money and the free food as he tried to put on weight ... after getting married earlier this year, Gardeck and his wife, Codi, welcomed their first child, son Cooper, in June.
