Cardinals outside linebacker BJ Ojulari returns with a clear message after ACL setback

Arizona is again making BJ Ojulari a centerpiece of its outside pass-rush group, with the team positioning the healthy outside linebacker as a reminder of what he looked like before a knee injury became the story of his 2024 season.

The Cardinals’ most recent team release frames Ojulari’s current mindset as readiness rather than reflection. The emphasis is on being able to let loose again, and on the idea that a player can be both a comeback case and a serious football weapon at the same time.

During training camp in 2024, Arizona pointed to Ojulari as one of the prominent headlines, first for showing flashes as a pass rusher, then for what the team described as a devastating ACL injury. That sequence, the organization suggests, is why his return matters beyond one roster spot. It is a story of impact, interruption, and the chance to prove the flashes were not the whole picture.

Ojulari’s role matters because outside linebackers in the NFL are asked to win one-on-one battles at the edge and to affect the pocket quickly. When the knee injury removed him from that work, it did not just change his availability, it also slowed his development into a dependable pressure source. The Cardinals’ current messaging is that he is now past that barrier and ready to make the kind of play that turns attention into consistent production.

The team’s tone also suggests a broader point about the NFL’s short memory. Ojulari, as presented by Arizona, is approaching camp with the expectation that opponents and evaluators should revisit what he can do when healthy. The “shouldn’t be forgotten” theme is less about sentiment and more about creating a practical reminder: if the offseason work translates on game days, his snap-to-snap presence can become difficult to ignore.

At the same time, the available material does not offer specific details on timing, on-field workload, or any medical updates beyond the assertion that he is healthy. For fans and evaluators, the real test will be whether Ojulari can turn early practice opportunities into sustained effectiveness against live NFL pass protection.

As Arizona builds its preseason and regular-season picture, Ojulari’s progress will be watched for signs of acceleration, gap control, and edge-setting discipline, the traits that make an outside linebacker’s rush look different from a one-off effort. If the Cardinals can integrate him into their pass-rush rotation while keeping his health steady, his return could reshape how they attack opposing quarterbacks from the perimeter.