BJ Ojulari expected himself to be more emotional on Thursday, the first day the outside linebacker would be part of a Cardinals practice since he tore up his knee some 15 months prior.

It didn't hit like that, though. He had been at the Dignity Health Training Center almost daily since getting injured. Thursday, it turned out, was just another day at the office.

The practice was no less meaningful, though, as Ojulari thought about his journey since Aug. 2, 2024.

"It's been hell, for real," he said.

Ojulari isn't playing in games yet. He remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list, his 21-day window to be reinstated to the roster ticking. The Cardinals have until Nov. 20 to make that move.

Just being on the grass with teammates was enough for now.

"At times it did get dark, it did get depressing," Ojulari said. "But I know at some point I'd be back on the field."

The assumption from the outside was that Ojulari's return would easily come by the time training camp started in 2025. What wasn't known publicly was that Ojulari not only tore the ACL in his left leg but two other ligaments as well.

As he closed in on the beginning of camp in July, he realized his rehab was going to take much longer than he had hoped, and had to mentally readjust again – although he praised coach Jonathan Gannon, GM Monti Ossenfort, and the team's medical and athletic training staff for not rushing him back.

"My process was very different," Ojulari said.

The outside linebacker landscape is drastically different since Ojulari got hurt. When he went down, the Cardinals were counting on him to be their top pass rusher. In his absence, the Cardinals traded for Baron Browning, spent huge free-agent money on Josh Sweat, and drafted Jordan Burch.

Ojulari acknowledged in some ways, knowing he was going to play such an important role at the time of his injury made it "kind of devastating." Now, though, he just wants to fit into the group whenever he returns to the field. Given his extended time on the sideline, he figures to need a good chunk of the three-week ramp-up time.

"The rust part that you're talking about, I think when you don't play football for a while it takes you a little bit of time to get back in and feel the flow of football," Gannon said. "That's natural I think, and everybody's a little bit different by age, by position and by what we're asking to do. Yeah, there'll be a — I don't want to say a learning curve — but the first time he's having to bend the corner off of a surgically repaired knee, I'm sure that's in his brain.

"He's out there now and why he's practicing is we feel good and he feels good enough to go do that without hopefully thinking about it too much. But I'd be lying to say he is not going to be thinking about it. That's natural."

He's had conversations with a number of teammates who went through the ACL rehab – Kyler Murray, Garrett Williams, Jon Gaines II. But he also credited James Conner for being in his ear all offseason, giving him motivation and advice, even after Conner himself suffered a season-ending injury.

Gannon emphasized Ojulari's practice comeback won't be linear. But time is short to get him ready for the roster.

Ojulari's rookie season was hampered by injury to a much lesser extent, although he did have four sacks in his limited playing time in 2023.

He aches to try again on Sundays.

"I'm built for this league and I know what type of player I can be," Ojulari said. "Now I just have to go out and show it."