Arizona Cardinals rookie defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor tore his meniscus during OTAs and could miss the 2026 season, head coach Mike LaFleur said on Wednesday.
The Cardinals selected Proctor in the fourth round (104th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft in April but had yet to sign the former Southeastern Louisiana standout.
“Kaleb Proctor had a meniscus tear, so he’ll miss quite a bit of time, if not — I don’t want to say absolutely — if not the whole year,” LaFleur said at a news conference.
Unsigned rookies such as Proctor, 22, and the team’s other unsigned draft pick, third-round quarterback Carson Beck of Miami, sign waivers at the start of offseason work essentially guaranteeing them their full expected rookie contracts, even if injured during OTAs, NFL.com reported.
Proctor was the 2025 Southland Conference Player of the Year, first-team All-SLC and a consensus FCS All-American his senior season, when he led the conference with nine sacks as well as 43 tackles and a career-high 13 tackles for loss.
