Simon (knee) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's matchup against the Texans, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official sitereports.
Simon exited the game in the first quarter of Sunday's Week 15 game with a knee injury and, after further evaluation, has been ruled out for the second half against the Texans. The 23-year-old has 46 tackles (19 solo) and one pass breakup in 12 games this season. Channing Tindall will get more reps with Simon out.
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Cardinals' Cody Simon: Exits with knee injury
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Simon (knee) is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Texans, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Simon appeared to injure his left knee in the first quarter, and he's being evaluated by medical staff to determine whether he can return. Baron Browning and Akeem Davis-Gaither are the top candidates to work with the first-team defense for as long as Simon is sidelined.
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Cardinals' Walter Nolen: Good to go against Houston
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Nolen (knee) is active for Sunday's game against the Texans.
Nolen missed the Cardinals' last two games due to a knee injury, but he has been given the green light to play Sunday after going through pregame warmups. The rookie first-rounder's return means there will be less snaps available for fellow defensive tackles PJ Mustipher and Dalvin Tomlinson.
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Cardinals' L.J. Collier: Won't play Week 15
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Collier (knee) was not activated from injured reserve Saturday and has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Texans, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Collier is progressing in his recovery from a knee injury that caused him to land on injured reserve in mid-September. He's not quite ready to be activated from IR, and his next opportunity to play is Week 16 against the Falcons on Sunday, Dec. 21.
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Cardinals' Bilal Nichols: Moved to IR
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Nichols (knee) was placed on injured reserve Saturday.
Nichols was already ruled out for Sunday's game against Houston after he sustained a knee injury during last week's loss to the Rams. With Arizona already eliminated from playoff contention, this transaction means that the 29-year-old will now miss the remainder of the season on IR. Nichols totaled three tackles over four appearances in 2025.
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Cardinals' Dadrion Taylor-Demerson: Ruled out Week 15
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Taylor-Demerson (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Texans, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Taylor-Demerson is slated to miss a fifth consecutive game due to an ankle injury, and there doesn't appear to be a clear timeline for his return, given his absence from practice since sustaining the injury. Taylor-Demerson's next chance to play is Week 16 against the Falcons on Sunday, Dec. 21, though he's unlikely to suit up for that game unless he's cleared to practice in at least a limited capacity.
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Cardinals' Walter Nolen: Tagged as questionable Week 15
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Nolen (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.
The rookie first-rounder was limited in practice during Week 15 prep, giving him a shot at returning Sunday from a two-game absence due to a knee injury. Nolen has played in just four of 14 regular-season games due to knee and calf injuries, and when he's played he has accumulated eight tackles (seven solo), including 1.0 sacks, one pass defense and one fumble recovery.
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Cardinals' Bilal Nichols: Won't play vs. Houston
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Nichols (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Texans, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.
Nichols was unable to practice all week due to a knee injury that he sustained during the Cardinals' Week 14 loss to the Rams. Dante Stills and rookie third-rounder Jordan Burch are slated to see more rotational snaps at defensive end alongside Josh Sweat in Nichols' absence. Nichols will aim to progress enough in his recovery to return for Arizona's Week 16 tilt against Atlanta on Sunday, Dec. 21.
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Cardinals' Jalen Thompson: Won't play Sunday
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Thompson (hamstring) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Texans, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Thompson logged consecutive DNPs to begin the Cardinals' week of practice due to a hamstring injury, so it's no surprise that he'll be sidelined Sunday. The Washington State product has appeared in all 13 of Arizona's games thus far, recording 81 total tackles, six passes defensed and one forced fumble. While he's out for Week 15, Kitan Crawford is expected to operate as one of Arizona's top safeties.
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Cardinals' Max Melton: Remains out for Week 15
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Melton (heel) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Texans, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Melton is now in line to miss his third consecutive game due to a heel injury. The second-year pro from Rutgers downgraded from a limited practice session Wednesday to a DNP on Thursday, suggesting his injury worsened throughout the week. Denzel Burke is expected to have a larger role in the Cardinals' secondary while Melton remains sidelined in Week 15.
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Cardinals' Max Melton: Does not practice Thursday
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Melton (heel) did not participate in practice Thursday, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.
Melton returned to practice as a limited participant Wednesday after missing the last two weeks recovering from a heel injury. It appeared the 23-year-old was nearing a return; however, he is now trending in a negative direction. The second-year pro still has an opportunity to participate in practice Friday before Sunday's game against the Texans.
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Cardinals' Jalen Thompson: Does not practice Thursday
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Thompson (hamstring) did not participate in practice Thursday, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.
Thompson did not participate in practice Thursday, his second straight absence. It's unclear when he sustained the injury, as there was no clear sign of decreased snap count in Week 14. The 27-year-old will likely need to return Friday for a chance to play Sunday versus the Texans.
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Cardinals' Walter Nolen: Back at practice Wednesday
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Nolen (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Zach Gershman of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Nolen's ability to practice Wednesday is a step in the right direction for the rookie first-rounder, who has missed the Cardinals' last two games due to a knee injury. He would avoid an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Texans with a full practice Thursday or Friday.
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Cardinals' Max Melton: Returns to practice Wednesday
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Melton (heel) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Zach Gershman of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Melton missed the Cardinals' last two games due to a heel injury, but he has progressed enough in his recovery to return to practice Wednesday, albeit in a limited capacity. He has two more opportunities to increase his practice participation ahead of Sunday's game against the Texans.
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Cardinals' Dadrion Taylor-Demerson: Opens week with DNP
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Taylor-Demerson (ankle) did not practice Wednesday, Zach Gershman of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Taylor-Demerson has missed the Cardinals' last four games due to an ankle injury. He also hasn't been able to practice since sustaining the injury, so unless he returns to practice over the next two days, he's unlikely to be available for Sunday's game against the Texans.
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Cardinals' Cody Simon: Just three tackles vs. LAR
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Simon posted three tackles (one solo) during the Cardinals' 45-17 loss to the Rams on Sunday.
Simon played every single defensive snap for a fifth consecutive game, though his three tackles were his lowest since Week 9 against the Cowboys (three). The rookie fourth-rounder has started at middle linebacker in each of the Cardinals' last five games, coinciding with the placement of Mack Wilson (ribs) on injured reserve. Simon should continue to serve in an every-down role at linebacker for as long as Wilson remains on IR.
Thompson posted seven tackles (three solo) Sunday in a Week 14 loss to the Rams.
Thompson tied for the second-most stops on the Cardinals in the loss. The veteran safety has been a steady IDP option this season, posting at least five tackles in 10 of his 13 contests. Thompson is up to 81 stops, including 1.0 sacks, and six defensed passes on the campaign.
Pappoe posted 10 tackles (six solo) and a defensed pass in Sunday's loss to the Rams.
Pappoe led Arizona in stops despite playing only half of the team's defensive snaps. That was a significant increase in opportunity, as Pappoe had played exclusively on special teams over his 12 games prior to Sunday. Akeem Davis-Gaither notched just one defensive snap against Los Angeles, which may indicate that Arizona wants to give Pappoe an extended look moving forward, especially given his strong performance Sunday.
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Cardinals' Bilal Nichols: Done for day
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Nichols (knee) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's contest against the Rams, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Nichols suffered a knee injury late in the first half, and he'll now be sidelined for the rest of the contest. In his absence, Jordan Burch and Dante Stills are the top candidates to see an increase in workload on the defensive line versus Los Angeles.
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Cardinals' L.J. Collier: Not ready to return
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Collier (knee) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Rams, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
Collier has been sidelined since Week 3 and returned to practice Wednesday. He logged a pair of limited practices before sitting Friday, so it's unclear how close he is to a return.
