The Arizona Cardinals are preparing for the upcoming season without cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who will miss the year due to a knee injury. Head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed the situation on Wednesday, stating, “It happened in the offseason, he had to have surgery to get it fixed, so he won’t be able to play this year. It’s a tough break for him, a tough break for us, but we’ll move forward and so will he.”
Murphy-Bunting was signed as a free agent in 2024 to bring experience to the cornerback position after the team invested heavily in young talent through the draft. Last season, he played 15 games for the Cardinals and contributed with three interceptions, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and three tackles for loss.
Despite his absence, Gannon remains confident in his young players. The team has second-round picks Max Melton and Will Johnson and third-round picks Garrett Williams and Elijah Jones ready to step up. Additionally, Starling Thomas V has been developed into a reliable starter since being claimed off waivers two years ago.
“For the young guys, there will be some learning on the job,” Gannon said. “You need reps to learn; I truly believe that. And really bad reps to really learn.” He expressed confidence in both returning players and new additions.
Veteran safeties Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson are expected to provide stability in the secondary. Baker emphasized their role in guiding younger teammates: “If we’re on a game day right now I can easily tell our young corners what to do because that’s our job.”
The Cardinals began their organized team activities (OTAs) on Wednesday with six voluntary sessions planned before their mandatory minicamp starts on June 10.
