Paris Johnson Jr. with PHNX Cardinals Wired Up and Fired Up

 By Walter Mitchell

Talk about a player who is fired up about his teammates, new coaches and the Arizona community, Paris Johnson Jr., in his interview with Bo Brack and Johnny Venerable on the PHNX Cardinals Podcast, lit the match to a blowtorch of jalapeno-hot takes about the 2026 Arizona Cardinals. Watch here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQLYNPP8POM&t=4704s

The first order of business was to promote PJJ's charity "Putts for a Purpose" which took place last weekend, with the purpose being to raise enough money to build houses for military veterans and students who require financial aid. Paris is working in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity and hand in hand with Kurt Warner who has generously offered to furnish the first house upon its completion.

 

When it came to talk about his boys, Paris Johnson Jr. was ecstatic about having the chance to elaborate in fine detail about the considerable talent the Cardinals have been building on offense. He's psyched to be playing next to Pro Bowl G Isaac Seumalo on a line with his favorite bro, Hjalte Froholdt and feels like the right side of the line will works its way out in strong fashion.

As for the playmakers:

Trey McBride --- how he goes into absolute beast mode on game days.

Michael Wilson --- he can't wait to see how explosive he can be in the Puka Nacua role for an entire season this year.

Marvin Harrison Jr. --- "his giant body getting swolle and his visor is getting darker."

Kendrick Bourne --- happy to have him in from the 49ers as a solid contributor..

Tip Reiman --- great to have him back for the team's blocking schemes.

Jeremiyah Love --- "the best plays in football are the long home runs, "where I can body bump my guard while watching the home run in action."

As for the new coaches:

Mike LaFleur --- what's different is how he is marrying the WRs with the OL in terms of motions and schemes to where the OL and WRs will know exactly what each group is doing on every play.

Nathaniel Hackett --- "I love that guy. I love his enthusiasm. And he's advising us to mix up our end zone celebrations this year to do more than my LIFT."

This was a great interview. It is just the kind of upbeat outlook to the season that Cardinals' fans need to hear. 

As for PJJ's contract extension:

He clarified that when he grades himself, he thinks that if the DE is making $40M a year, then he should strive to play like a $40M a year left tackle. 

The top tackles in the NFC West average per year salaries:

1. Charles Cross SEA: $26,1M 

2. Trent Williams SF: $25.8M

3. Alaric Jackson, LAR: $18.8M

4. Paris Johnson Jr. ARI: $7.0M 

2025 PFF games/grades/rankings (for Ts with 10+ games played):

1. Charles Cross SEA --- 17 games --- 77.6 (#20 T)

2. Trent Williams SF --- 18 games --- 91.1 (#3 T)

3. Alaric Jackson LAR --- 19 games --- 84.2 (#8 T)

4. Paris Johnson Jr, ARI --- 12 games --- 76.6 (#23)

Note: seeing as the Cardinals have picked up PJJ's 5th year option, if he makes the Pro Bowl this season, the 5th year salary would be close to $20M guaranteed.

Alaric Jackson in heading into the third year of his 3-year, $56.3M contract. If PJJ wants a contract extension now, the figures should be on a par with Jackson's 3/$56.3M deal. 

Any contract more than Alaric Jackson's would be "too much too soon", especially for a player with consistency and durability issues. 

As for PHNX Cardinals building a strong community, as PJJ said, that is absolutely correct. Bo and Johhny are excellent interviewers and persuasive influencers. They hit the scene from out of nowhere and have created a stunning 53,000+ subscribers. 

But where PJJ is mistaken is in believing Bo and Johnny are provided with accurate insider-type information. Sure, they were touting Jeremiyah Love to the Cardinals at #3 down the pre-draft stretch, as so many of the pundits and fans were. We can give them credit for jumping on that bandwagon, but did they receive actual word prior to draft night from the Cardinals that Jeremiyah Love would be the pick? 

Bo and Johnny operate on their own speculative agendas. They spent the whole year in 2025 campaigning for Drew Petzing to be fired. They still demean and ridicule Petzing every chance they get. But Petzing, time and time again, has proven them wrong. They called his passing offense the worst in the NFL and had Michael Wilson evaluated as "a WR3 at best on any other team." And now that Bo and Johnny have been proven wrong again about Petzing, their new campaign is "Jacoby is an embarrassment." And now the topic of their newest propaganda:

During the Cardinals HC search, Bo and Johnny campaigned for Mike LaFleur insisting that he all along, despite LaFleur not garnering credible HC interest anywhere else in the league, that he was the Cardinals' #1 priority...except to learn that the Cardinals actual #1 priority was Klint Kubiak. Once LaFleur was hired, they insisted that his and the team's UFA priority #1 was QB Malik Willis and endorsed paying Willis $30M+ a year. 

The point is --- for the PHNX Cardinals to be a home run football operation in terms of insight --- that fans can trust and rely on --- they need to start getting many, many more of their "inside scoops" (per PJJ) correct. 

No matter what, kudos to Bo and Johnny for reeling in PJJ for this outstanding interview. This podcast, which has generated 3.9K views might have been their magnum opus to date!