Arizona Cardinals Zach Allen Ready for Training Camp

During OTAs and minicamp, Cardinals defensive end Zach Allen has been working out on side fields while his teammates were going through the normal practices that occur in the offseason.

It was known that Allen had suffered an ankle injury late in the 2021 season, but it wasn’t until Wednesday that the severity of the injury was talked about.

Allen said Wednesday, “we finally did the MRI and we saw what it actually was,” after the Christmas night game against the Colts.

And what was that? “I literally had no ligaments in my ankle,” he said. “My tibia was basically floating. So, the tape was the only thing holding it together.”

Allen didn’t practice much ahead of the final three games of the season, including the playoff loss to the Rams, but he did what football players often do: Gut it out with “a lot of tape and a lot of Toradol” to “make it work and kind of keep it together.”

After defensive end J.J. Watt suffered a regular-season ending shoulder injury against Green Bay in Week 8, Allen played 78% or more of the defensive snaps in six of the next seven games with three of 80% or more.

However, he played only 73% against Indianapolis, 66% against Dallas and 72% in the playoff game. Somehow, he was on the field for 95% of the snaps in Week 18 against Seattle.

“It was tough,” Allen said, while crediting the “great support system here.”

After the MRI, he knew surgery was an option and that occurred the week after the game against the Rams.

He said, “I was on the surgery table the next week and right back out here and working out, rehab and the whole deal and luckily we have a bunch of guys that stay here. So, it was (good) being around the guys.”

Now, with training camp about six weeks away, Allen said the ankle “feels great” and while acknowledging the mental frustration of not being on the field with his teammates, he said, “There's been no setbacks, no anything like that to deal with. It's just kind of always been a nice progression. And we've been ahead of schedule the whole time, which has been nice. So it's been really good.”

He noted, “Honestly, I feel better now than I did last year going into the season. Our strength staff and rehab guys have just done an absolutely terrific job.”

A third-round pick in 2019 that is entering the final year of his contract, Allen was asked what he thinks is the next step to stay healthy.

He said, “Yeah, obviously kind of took a leap in production (last season). I think I definitely have more in the tank. I'm excited to do a full season, knock on wood, healthy and try not to battle through too many things.

“I think also now, going into Year 4, probably take on more of a leadership role. It's funny. It seems like yesterday you were the young guy asking all the questions. And now you got young guys asking you questions."

He just hopes there are no more questions about injuries.