IR
Injury Knee
Est. Return 2/9/2026
2025 Defense Stats
TCKL
11
SACKS
2.0
INT
0
FF
0
TD
1
Rest-of-Season Projections
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Without the move from Texas A&M to Mississippi last year, Nolen hadn't put enough on tape to warrant a significant investment in the draft, but he responded with 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 13 games en route to consensus All-American honors. Such a performance at defensive tackle resulted in the Cardinals selecting him 16th overall in April, and he'll have the benefit of veteran DTs Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson to lean on as he eases into the NFL ranks. Read Past Outlooks
Signed a four-year, $19.37 million contract with the Cardinals in June of 2025.
Undergoes surgery on left knee
Nolen successfully underwent surgery on his left knee Tuesday, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Nolen suffered a season-ending knee injury during the Cardinals' Week 16 loss to the Falcons. The extent and severity of his injury is not clear, but he could be facing a recovery timeline that would put him jeopardy of missing the start of the 2026 campaign. The rookie first-rounder logged 11 tackles (eight solo), including 2.0 sacks, two pass defenses and a fumble recovery for a touchdown across six regular-season games.
Nolen suffered a season-ending knee injury during the Cardinals' Week 16 loss to the Falcons. The extent and severity of his injury is not clear, but he could be facing a recovery timeline that would put him jeopardy of missing the start of the 2026 campaign. The rookie first-rounder logged 11 tackles (eight solo), including 2.0 sacks, two pass defenses and a fumble recovery for a touchdown across six regular-season games.
NFL Stats
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2025 NFL Game Log
2025
2025 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
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2025 Walter Nolen Split Stats
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Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do Walter Nolen's measurables compare to other defensive tackles?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 4"Weight
300 lbsHand Length
9.50 inArm Length
32.50 in
More Fantasy News
Sent to injured reserve
The Cardinals placed Nolen (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday.
ANALYSIS
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Ruled out with knee injury
Nolen (knee) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Falcons, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
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Good to go against Houston
Nolen (knee) is active for Sunday's game against the Texans.
ANALYSIS
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Tagged as questionable Week 15
Nolen (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Back at practice Wednesday
Nolen (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Zach Gershman of the Cardinals' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
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