The Arizona Cardinals have been hit with a major injury, as it is confirmed that cornerback Starling Thomas tore his ACL during practice on Friday.
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Tests revealed that Cardinals CB Starling Thomas, who has started 22 games the past two seasons in Arizona, tore his ACL during Friday’s practice, per source. pic.twitter.com/Qz4oIR8WFo
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 27, 2025
Thomas started 22 games over the past two seasons for the Cardinals and was slated to be the starting right side corner for the defense in 2025. Sadly, he will be lost for the season.
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Thomas appeared in 16 games in the 2024 season, starting 15 of those games. He brought in 47 total tackles, six passes defended, and one forced fumble.
Though Thomas’ stats are minimal in nature, he was solid in coverage, only allowing a 58.6 completion percentage in his second season, which is far better than the 75.5 completion percentage he gave up in 2023.
Thomas may have impressed with completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks, but he also gave up three touchdowns and a 100.6 passer rating. However, this was far better than the 131.0 rating he gave up his rookie season.
Clearly, Thomas showed vast improvement from his rookie season to his second year as a pro. This led to far more playing time.
Thomas joined the Cardinals in 2023 after going undrafted. During his rookie season, he appeared in 12 games and started seven.
Thomas secured 38 tackles and five passes defended in his rookie season, leading to far more playing time in the 2024 season. With Thomas’ injury, the Cardinals are likely to rely on Max Melton to step up in the starting position.
Currently, the team has rookie Will Johnson in the left corner position, and should he not emerge as the playmaker they believe him to be, the Cardinals might be in a tough spot with their available corners.
The Cardinals finished the season with an 8-9 record, which is not the worst in the league, but definitely not where the team needs to be. The team’s defense, mainly secondary, was also not terrible.
Arizona was middle of the pack in terms of passing yards per game allowed with 216.1 yards per game allowed in 2024. They needed to address the secondary, thus bringing in the potential Pro Bowler in Will Johnson.
The issue is that Johnson has had an injury history in college, hence why he fell down draft boards into the second round. Still, he could get past that and become a solid playmaker on this Cardinals defense.
Arizona might address its cornerback issues by bringing in one of the many available veterans, now that Thomas is done for the season.
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