Kelvin Beachum will enjoy a rare opportunity to play an age-36 season as an offensive lineman. The veteran blocker will stay in Arizona to do so.
The Cardinals are keeping their swing tackle around, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicating the parties have agreed on another contract. Returning to a role behind Paris Johnson Jr. and Jonah Williams, Beachum will enter his sixth season with the Cards and 14th in the NFL. This is a one-year contract.
Despite joining the Cardinals in 2020, Beachum has now agreed to four contracts with the team. He signed a one-year deal in July 2020 and completed two-year re-ups to keep him in place through 2024. Although most members of the 2012 draft class have retired, the former seventh-round selection will continue his career. This comes after the Cardinals needed Beachum extensively last season.
Williams’ Week 1 knee injury kept him off the field for most of last season, while Johnson also missed three games. Beachum, who had come to Arizona as a starter opposite D.J. Humphries before being demoted, made 12 starts in 2024, playing 519 snaps at right tackle and 213 at LT. Beachum has started 62 games with the Cardinals and 161 for his career. He will continue to provide the Cards with some insurance, as Williams has dealt with knee trouble in recent years. Pro Football Focus graded Johnson 51st among 81 tackle regulars last season.
The Johnson draft choice moved Beachum out of the starting lineup, and while the team cut its veteran LT last year, Beachum stayed on the backup level thanks to Williams’ two-year, $30MM deal. The ex-Bengals first-rounder will attempt to justify the contract this season. He and Johnson represent the big-ticket investments along Arizona’s O-line, as midlevel contracts are present at two other spots (Hjalte Froholdt, Evan Brown) up front.
Beachum began his career with the Steelers, moving his way into a regular role as the team’s LT starter, before signing with the Jaguars as a free agent in 2016. He then played three Jets seasons, leading to an initial Cardinals signing in 2020. Beachum has spent more time in Arizona than anywhere else during his pro career, and he is now the team’s fourth-longest-tenured player — behind LS Aaron Brewer, Budda Baker and Kyler Murray. Although the team made HC and GM changes in 2023, it has continued to prioritize Beachum, who has signed two contracts during Monti Ossenfort‘s tenure.