GLENDALE, Ariz. -- This may only be Arizona Cardinals linebacker Shaq Riddick's second training camp, but it’s quickly become his most important.
Riddick, who was drafted by the Cardinals in the fifth round in 2015, didn’t play a down last season as he made the physical and mental transition to the NFL. But with Arizona stocked with pass-rushers, the 23-year-old knows he needs to prove he’s needed this camp -- or he might find himself looking for a new team come September.
“It’s a big preseason for him,” coach Bruce Arians said. “You can’t have a bad day. There’s about five positions you cannot have a bad day. You may never get back up to that level.”
Two hamstring injuries last offseason stunted Riddick's growth and kept him sidelined for most of training camp. Without that opportunity to show coaches that, at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, he can get to the quarterback, he found himself on the sideline in street clothes during the season.
Looking back at his rookie year, Riddick said his most valuable lesson was learning how to stay healthy.
“You can’t make the team in the tub,” he said.
Riddick is approaching this training camp as if it is his rookie year. With a mostly blank tape from last camp, he felt he needs to show Arians and defensive coordinator James Bettcher that, yes, he can play football.
Riddick isn’t lamenting last season, though. He understands injuries happen. But in order to crack the rotation at outside pass-rusher that’s already being dominated by Chandler Jones, Markus Golden and Alex Okafor, he needs to show one thing and one thing only: That he can get to the quarterback.
“I just got to do what I can do and show I can rush the passer and get out here on all these special teams and show I can play on all these special teams and try to win these jobs on the special teams,” Riddick said. “We got some real good outside linebackers, especially Chandler Jones coming in. I try not to worry about other people and just worry about myself.”
With a lost year in his rearview mirror and a loaded roster to navigate through, Riddick isn’t feeling the pressure of making the roster. Not yet, at least.
“Being in the National Football League, it’s always going to be pressure,” he said. “It comes with the job. I don’t know if it can change pressure, add [it], lessen it. It’s always going to be pressure. I’m just trying to get out here and ball.”