Starter Blake Gillikin remains on IR with back injury

Zach Gershman

The Cardinals are making a change on special teams.

After five games, the Cardinals cut Pat O'Donnell on Tuesday. The team also released linebacker Jared Bartlett from the active roster and released defensive lineman Anthony Goodlow from the practice squad. Bartlett was signed to the active roster prior to the 49ers game.

General manager Monti Ossenfort is back on the market searching for a powerful leg that can fill the empty roster spot. The team brought in O'Donnell after they placed Blake Gillikin on Injured Reserve with a back injury. In those five games, O'Donnell averaged 42.2 yards per punt with a net average of 36.2 yards. Three of his 12 punts landed inside the 20.

Before Gillikin was placed on IR, he was averaging 51.7 yards per punt.

Whoever the new punter will be will also serve as the holder on Chad Ryland's kicking attempts. It's an area that special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers has repeatedly said needs to be in sync. When asked how he'd evaluate his unit's production through 11 weeks, Rodgers said "we have been inconsistent."

"Unless six phases go the way that I want them to, and we win the game, there's always disappointment afterwards," Rodgers said. "As guys have gotten accumulated reps, they've played decent. We're trying to find the right combinations of humans to be able to have a winning performance."

The Cardinals host a Jaguars team that did not punt during last weekend's game against the Chargers.