Gardeck with the Cardinals in 2023
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| No. 45 – Arizona Cardinals | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | (1994-08-09) August 9, 1994 (age 29) Lake in the Hills, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 232 lb (105 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Crystal Lake (IL) | ||||||||||||
| College: | West Virginia State Sioux Falls | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2018 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Dennis Gardeck (born August 9, 1994) is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college footballatWest Virginia State and Sioux Falls,[1] where he was a nominee for the Harlon Hill Trophy and was a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award. He was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2018.[2] Gardeck attended Crystal Lake South High SchoolinCrystal Lake, Illinois.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+1⁄2 in (1.84 m) |
242 lb (110 kg) |
31+3⁄8 in (0.80 m) |
8+3⁄8 in (0.21 m) |
4.57 s | 1.64 s | 2.63 s | 4.32 s | 7.35 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) |
10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) |
31 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[3] | ||||||||||||
Gardeck signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent on April 30, 2018.[4] He made the Cardinals roster as an undrafted rookie, playing in all 16 games primarily on special teams.
In Week 14 of the 2019 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Gardeck recovered a fumble forced by teammate Darrell Daniels on punter Jordan Berry during a fake punt attempt in the 23–17 loss.[5]
In Week 5 against the New York Jets in 2020, Gardeck recorded his first two career sacksonJoe Flacco during the 30–10 win.[6] In Week 14 against the New York Giants, Gardeck recorded two sacks on Daniel Jones during the 26–7 victory.[7] In Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Gardeck recorded two sacks on Jalen Hurts during the 33–26 win.[8] On December 25, 2020, Gardeck was placed on injured reserve.[9] He finished the season second on the team with seven sacks.
The Cardinals placed a restricted free agent tender on Gardeck on March 15, 2021.[10] He signed the one-year contract on April 15.[11] He was placed on injured reserve on September 11, 2021. He was activated on October 2, 2021.
On March 14, 2022, Gardeck signed a three-year contract extension with the Cardinals.[12]
Gardeck's brother, Ian, is a former professional baseball player.[13]
