Cardinals Had Interest In Daryl Washington

The Cardinals have parted ways with linebacker Daryl Washington, but they did have some level of interest in retaining him. A source with knowledge of the talks between the two sides tells Mike Florio of PFT that the Cardinals would have liked to retain Washington, but it sounds like they could not agree on terms.

Washington was regarded as a top linebacker when he was last on the field, but that was three years ago. The Cardinals would not be penciling the veteran in for a starting role, particularly after an offseason which they added linebacker Haason Reddick with the No. 13 overall pick. Reading between the lines, it seems like Arizona balked at the idea of paying Washington $2.9MM in 2017, per the terms of his previous deal. However, they might have offered him something closer to the veteran’s minimum with low or no guarantees on the deal. Washington has been without football income since the 2013 season, so that wouldn’t be a palatable arrangement for him.

“I want to thank the Cardinals organization, especially Mr. [Michael] Bidwell and Steve Keim for drafting and believing in me, and their continued support,” Washington said in a statement. “We’ve had some really positive and productive discussions this week, and at the end of the day we mutually agreed it was best for both sides to get a fresh start. I’m in the best shape of my life, and very much look forward to the next opportunity, where I will again play at an All-Pro level and help my team make a championship run.”

For months, we had been hearing that the Cardinals had no interest in a reunion with Washington. Apparently, that’s not entirely true. The Cardinals’ interest in putting Washington on the field may not be major news now that they are going their separate ways, but it may be a sign that he still has something left in the tank. If that’s the case, then he might have a good chance of suiting up for one of the other 31 teams this year.