Cardinals cornerback Will Johnson is back in his college No. 2 after a jersey shuffle prompted by Mack Wilson’s move to No. 1, and the difference feels personal—especially as Johnson heads into a healthier second season in Arizona.
Will Johnson has already been through the kind of adjustment that can follow an NFL rookie season for months—working through a body that wasn’t fully ready, learning a defense on the fly, and carrying the weight of draft-week uncertainty.
Now, in his second Cardinals season, the cornerback says getting his old No.. 2 back feels like more than a uniform change.. “It means a lot,” Johnson said via the team’s website after the team’s first OTA on Monday.. “It just feels right.. I feel real comfortable in it so I’m glad I was able to get that back.”
Johnson won a national title and earned All-America teams at Michigan wearing No.. 2, a number that wasn’t available when he joined the Cardinals as a second-round pick in 2025.. As a rookie, he wore No.. 0.. This offseason, he’s back to No.. 2 because linebacker Mack Wilson opted to switch to No.. 1—leaving Johnson room to reclaim the number that comes with history attached.
The timing matters because Johnson’s confidence this year isn’t only tied to getting comfortable with a jersey.. He’s also pointing to better health heading into the season compared to what he dealt with previously.. He was available in the second round because injuries kept him off the field too often in his final college season. and a hamstring injury hampered his preparations for his rookie season.. This time, he says the mindset is different.
“It’s a whole different feeling going into this year versus last year,” Johnson said.. “Last year. coming in with all the draft stuff and combine. and I was injured coming in. so that versus having some experience and feeling comfortable in the defense is a whole different feeling.. It feels really good this year.”
Arizona is also leaning into stability behind the scenes.. The Cardinals retained defensive coordinator Nick Rallis under new head coach Mike LaFleur. choosing defensive continuity as they build toward the season.. For Johnson. a strong year in that system could be the kind of payoff that helps justify the decision to keep the defensive structure in place.
In Johnson’s eyes, the work and the feeling have shifted at the same time—experience on one side, comfort in the defense on the other, and the sense that he’s finally arriving closer to full readiness. The number back to No. 2 is part of it. The health and the confidence are the rest.
Will Johnson Arizona Cardinals Mack Wilson Nick Rallis Mike LaFleur NFL cornerback OTA jersey number 2
No. 2 back like it’s magic or something lol
I don’t even follow college jersey numbers but hamstring injuries messing up rookie prep is super common. Hopefully he stays healthy because OTA vibes don’t mean much if he can’t play week 1.
Wait so Mack Wilson took No. 1 and that “freed” Johnson? Seems like the Cardinals are just doing random jersey math to fix problems. Like if he’s healthy that’s good but defense coordinator staying the same sounds more important than a number.
This whole article feels like they’re hyping a jersey shuffle like it’s personality growth. He had No. 0 as a rookie? That’s kinda wild. Also I’m confused how he already had to deal with “draft-week uncertainty” in college… shouldn’t that only be after? Anyway I hope the healthier second season is real and not just PR talk.