TEMPE — There was no doubting Arizona Cardinals pass rusher BJ Ojulari’s status heading into his second training camp with the franchise.
After getting his feet wet behind four sacks, five tackles for loss and six QB hits across 17 games as a rookie, all indications pointed to Ojulari commanding a starting role in Year 2.
Then came Day 8 of camp, when Ojulari went down with a reported torn ACL during 11-on-11 work.
In the blink of an eye, the second-year pass rusher’s trajectory — and Arizona’s entire pass rush unit — took an absolute nosedive.
That’s what made Thursday’s practice a monumental one for Ojulari, who returned to the practice field after 453 days on the shelf.
Just how tough has the long road back to recovery been for Cardinals pass rusher BJ Ojulari?
“It’s been a journey. It’s been hell, for real.” pic.twitter.com/AWvfAP3iNH
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) October 30, 2025
“It’s been a journey, it’s been hell, for real,” Ojulari said after his first day back practicing with his teammates. “My recovery took a little longer than everybody expected but I just took it day by day, leaned on my teammates, my coaches and my training staff.”
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“At times, it did get dark, it got depressing, but I always knew that I’ll be able to get back on the field and that’s why I kept my head down and just kept working,” he added.
Back on the practice field is one thing. Back in the lineup is another.
Ojulari’s next big hurdle is a 21-day practice window. Remaining heavily involved in the meeting room and knowledgeable of the playbook should only help give him an added boost.
When BJ Ojulari is eventually activated off IR, Zaven Collins expects the Cardinals pass rusher to “hit the ground running.” pic.twitter.com/pV8OALSMDR
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) October 28, 2025
The holdup behind BJ Ojulari’s return
Unlike the near-year return of offensive lineman Will Hernandez and his torn ACL, Ojulari’s time on the shelf was much more extended with little news as to why.
And for good reason. The reported torn ACL was just a piece of the puzzle.
Cardinals pass rusher BJ Ojulari confirms he tore much more than his ACL, which led to a longer time on the shelf.
“My process was very different.” pic.twitter.com/uwCgDgY3v4
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) October 30, 2025
“A lot of people think I just tore my ACL, but I tore two more ligaments in my knee,” Ojulari said Thursday. “My process was very different. Towards camp when I wasn’t back up, I realized that it’s going to take longer than usual just to get back and feel confident to get back on the field.
“But I tip my hat to the coaches, to (general manager Monti Ossenfort, coach Jonathan Gannon and athletic trainers Drew Krueger and Chad Cook), especially just for taking their time, not rushing me back out there and putting a bad product on the field.”
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