Arizona Cardinals Bring Back Talented Lineman for Better 2024 Pass Protection

Jess Root of Cardinals Wire reported that the team will keep Elijah Wilkinson for one more year after offering him an extension in free agency.

The Massachusetts product, who previously played for the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, and Atlanta Falcons will be among the players competing for the starting left guard spot.

Root wrote about the Cardinals’ plans with the left guard position:

They announced the re-signing of seven players. That included offensive linemen Elijah Wilkinson and Trystan Colon. Between them, they started 13 games at left guard.

Last year, he played in 10 games and started nine, logging 501 offensive snaps. He entered the season as the starter, shared snaps with Colon, got hurt and landed on injured reserve, returned to the starting lineup and shared snaps with Colon for the rest of the year.

The fact that Wilkinson got 74% of available offensive snaps at left guard means that the team found him impressive enough to offer an extended stay with the Arizona Cardinals.

However, his biggest problem would be his health. He’s never completed a full NFL season due to injuries and other reasons. If he wants to stake his position in the Cardinals’ offensive line, he must stay healthy throughout 2024.

The current state of the Arizona Cardinals offensive line

The Arizona Cardinals didn’t have the worst offensive line in the NFL. They allowed 42 sacks to their QBs, losing 286 yards. However, their 3144 passing yards suggest that QBs didn’t get enough time to find a well-developed route.

The team and its fans hope that they find a more permanent solution with Wilkinson winning the starting left guard role.

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