Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck was always one of the team’s best special teams playmakers. His role increased drastically in the 2020 season, however, when Chandler Jones went down with a season-ending biceps tear.
He immediately became a fan favorite, managing to rack up seven sacks in very limited snaps at outside linebacker. He brought energy and some much-needed pass rush help to a team that had just lost their star pass rusher for the season.
Unfortunately, Gardeck was unable to finish his 2020 campaign, as he suffered a torn ACL in a December matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Late-season knee injuries, particularly one of Gardeck’s severity, are always difficult to return to full strength by the next season.