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Notable 2024 Pro Bowl Incentives

January 4th, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The NFL released the AFC and NFC Pro Bowl rosters last night. While the annual All-Star event has lost some of its luster (and is eyeing a significant revamping in 2024), a Pro Bowl selection is still a significant accomplishment for many players…especially from a financial standpoint.

There were a number of Pro Bowlers whose selections were tied to contract incentives. We’ve collected some of the notable Pro Bowl incentives below:

Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick didn’t have a traditional Pro Bowl incentive, but his selection will still result in more money. Per Corry, Reddick’s 2024 base salary will increase by $500K (from $13.75MM to $14.25MM) thanks to the Pro Bowl selection.

A handful of former first-round picks also boosted the value of their fifth-year options by earning their first Pro Bowl nod (via Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus): Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Ravens offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum, Lions offensive lineman Penei Sewell, and Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner and Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain boosted the value of their fifth-round option to the maximum amount with a second Pro Bowl selection.

Beyond incentives, players also get some cash for just participating in the Pro Bowl event. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes, players on the winning team will earn $88K, while players on the losing team will get $44K. This even applies to Pro Bowl players who can’t participate since they’re playing in the Super Bowl.

WR Marquise Brown Open To Re-Signing With Cardinals

January 4th, 2024 at 6:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Marquise Brown played out the 2023 season on his fifth-year option and is set to hit free agency following the season. While the Cardinals receiver should have a number of suitors, he admitted to Darren Urban of the team website that “of course [he] would want to be back” in Arizona next season.

After sending a first-round pick to the Ravens for Brown and a third-round selection in 2022, the Cardinals immediately picked up the wideout’s fifth-year option. The two sides never sounded particularly close to an extension over the past two years, but the receiver told Urban that his contract status never bothered him since he’s “just a confident guy.”

“I feel like I’m one of the best in the game,” he added. “Playing receiver is all about opportunity. But as far as the wide receiver position, route running, releases, big plays, I feel like I have all that in my tool box. I really feel no pressure.”

During his two years in Arizona, Brown hasn’t come close to replicating his 1,000-yard season from 2021. However, his numbers could partly be attributed to both injury and inconsistency at quarterback, and he’s still managed to average around 50 receiving yards per game.

Brown was brought to Arizona to replace Christian Kirk, who got a four-year, $72MM deal from the Jaguars. Brown should be healed from his heel injury by the time free agency comes around, and he could be eyeing a similarly lucrative contract. It remains to be seen if that contract will come from the Cardinals, but it sounds like the wideout is appreciative of his time in Arizona and would consider re-signing.

“I learned a lot and my play grew a lot,” Brown said. “I proved to myself a lot of things I wanted to see this year. It was unfortunate the season didn’t go the way we wanted as far as us winning, but I feel like I showed what I can do. For me, it’s about working. Keep continuing to prove yourself. that’s what this business is. No matter if you have a good year, you’ve got to repeat that good year. If you have a bad year, you have to come back at do better.”

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/3/24

January 3rd, 2024 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: LB Abraham Beauplan

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Signed: OL Vitaliy Gurman

Cardinals LT D.J. Humphries Suffers ACL Tear

January 3rd, 2024 at 11:12am CST by Sam Robinson

D.J. Humphries had bounced back from an injury-limited 2022 season, lining up at left tackle in 15 games this year. But his 2024 offseason will include extensive rehab after another injury.

Jonathan Gannon confirmed Wednesday (via ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss) the ninth-year blocker suffered a torn left ACL. Humphries will head to IR and need surgery. The timing of this injury, as Kyler Murray‘s 2022 ACL tear did, creates questions about Humphries’ availability to start next season.

A back injury limited Humphries to eight games last season, one that saw an aging Cardinals O-line decimated by injuries. Humphries, 30, returned to practice this summer and has protected Murray’s blind side since the Pro Bowl quarterback returned at the midseason point. Humphries is under contract for the 2024 season, but a stay on the reserve/PUP list could come to pass by September.

Drafted in the 2015 first round, Humphries is one of the longest-tenured O-linemen in Cardinals history and one of the longest-tenured players in the franchise’s Arizona years. Since debuting in 2016, Humphries has started 98 games. That puts him 12 away from moving into the top 10 among O-line starts for the 100-plus-year old organization. Before he can move past 100 career Cards starts, Humphries will be on the shelf for a while.

The Cardinals have given Humphries three contracts. The most recent, agreed to during the summer of 2022, runs through the 2025 season. Humphries’ three-year, $51MM deal checked in a bit below expectations, given where the LT market was at the time, but it provided $32MM in total guarantees. All of Humphries’ fully guaranteed money has been paid out, however. While he would be entitled to a small amount by way of injury protection, the Cardinals could consider a 2024 cut and pick up more than $15MM in cap space (via a post-June 1 designation). Though, it is too early to make assumptions there.

Humphries signed all three of his Cardinals contracts during Steve Keim‘s GM run. Monti Ossenfort‘s first draft choice as a GM went to a tackle, Paris Johnson, whom the team placed on the right side opposite Humphries. Johnson closed his college career at left tackle. The team traded Humphries’ 2022 injury fill-in, Josh Jones, to the Texans in August. The team still has Kelvin Beachum as potential insurance, having re-signed the veteran to a two-year, $5.2MM deal in March.

The Florida alum had struggled with injuries during his early years but stabilized his career in 2019, beginning a three-season stretch of 16-game seasons. The 2021 campaign, which snapped a Cardinals playoff drought, produced a Pro Bowl berth. But injuries have again stalled Humphries. With ACL recoveries generally requiring at least nine months of rehab, Humphries’ availability for the ’24 campaign will need to be monitored over the offseason.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/2/24

January 2nd, 2024 at 6:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: S Jeremy Lucien

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: TE Johnny Lumpkin

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Signed: TE E.J. Jenkins
  • Placed on practice squad injured list: TE Cole Fotheringham

Los Angeles Rams

  • Signed: QB Dresser Winn
  • Released: LS Alex Matheson

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: LB Abraham Beauplan

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

Teams can begin signing players to reserve/futures contracts Jan. 8. P-squad contracts expire seven days after the regular season concludes, and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reminds teams are not limited regarding the number of times they can elevate a player from a taxi squad during the playoffs. In the regular season, players are capped at three gameday elevations.

The Panthers are expected to sign Boone to a futures deal next week, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. After three years with the Vikings and two with the Broncos, Boone played in nine games with the Texans this season. As for Wright, this marks a reunion. While Wright’s first Panthers stay did not last long (Aug. 26-30), Carolina may need him due to Eddy Pineiro‘s hamstring injury.

Amid the Jets’ wave of O-line injuries, they signed Saffold. While the former Rams, Titans and Bills starter was with the Jets for several weeks, he did not see any game action in his 14th NFL season.

Jonathan Gannon: ‘No Doubt’ Kyler Murray Is Cardinals’ Franchise QB

January 2nd, 2024 at 4:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jonathan Gannon has not exactly been hesitant to praise Kyler Murray since taking over as the Cardinals’ head coach. But the second half of Arizona’s season has been framed around seeing how the former Pro Bowler looks in a new offense. More talent around Murray is clearly needed, but the rookie HC is still confident in his triggerman.

When asked during a radio interview with Arizona Sports’ Burns and Gambo Tuesday (via AZCardinsals.com) about Murray’s post-2023 future in Arizona, Gannon said, “There is no doubt No. 1 is our franchise quarterback.” Chuckling at the question of the Cards’ 2024 QB1, Gannon has been consistent in his support for the fifth-year quarterback.

An updated endorsement is necessary not only due to Murray’s run of starts but because of the Cardinals’ draft position. Although their upset win over the Eagles dropped them in the draft order, the team still sits fourth. With neither the Bears nor Commanders — stationed at Nos. 1 and 2 — locked into drafting a quarterback, the Cardinals could have an important decision to make. Nearly a year after trading out of the No. 3 overall draft slot and signing off on a rebuilding year as Murray rehabbed his torn ACL, Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort appear prepared to roll out the dual-threat QB in 2024 as well.

Murray is 3-4 as a starter, tripling the win total the Cardinals accumulated with Josh Dobbs at the helm, and has offered up-and-down work in OC Drew Petzing‘s attack. Murray is averaging just 6.5 yards per attempt. While that is up from his disappointing finale with Kliff Kingsbury, it is well south of his Pro Bowl work from 2020 and 2021. His 64.5% completion rate is also on pace to be the worst since his rookie year. That said, the Cardinals have a bottom-tier skill-position array and figure to be in the market for wide receiver help soon. Marquise Brown is finishing this season on IR; the 2022 trade acquisition will be an unrestricted free agent in March.

The Cardinals’ five-year, $230.5MM Murray extension will be difficult to move in 2024, anyway. Less effusive in praising the QB he inherited, Sean Payton‘s deteriorating relationship with Russell Wilson is set to key a record-shattering $84.6MM in dead money. Even though that will be spread over two years via a post-June 1 cut, the Broncos’ 2025 end of that total — slated at $55MM — would still eclipse what it would cost the Cardinals to move Murray in 2024. Still, Arizona would be tagged with $46MM in dead money if Murray were traded before June 1. Until the Wilson cut commences, the Falcons’ $40.5MM Matt Ryan dead-money hit resides as the NFL’s single-player record.

The Cards owe Murray an $11.9MM guarantee on March 17 — Day 5 of the 2023 league year — if he is still on the roster; that money covers part of his 2025 salary. The year-out guarantee would stand to drive an early trade, but it would be punitive for the Cardinals. And it does not appear Arizona will consider it.

While it is too early to call the Steve Keim-era investment a lock to remain with the now-Ossenfort-led Cardinals in the long term, Gannon continues to insist the former No. 1 overall pick is not leaving the desert in 2024.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

January 1st, 2024 at 7:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

It took the Bears until Week 18 for the No. 1 draft slot to become a reality; the Panthers did not make them wait that long this year. Carolina’s struggles will give Chicago the No. 1 overall pick for a second straight year. How the Bears will proceed with that pick will become one of the NFL’s defining 2024 storylines.

The Cardinals’ unexpected conquest in Philadelphia knocked them down two slots in the 2024 draft order. As a result, the Commanders — who resided in the fourth position before the Patriots’ Christmas Eve upset ended the Russell Wilson era in Denver — hold the No. 2 pick going into the regular season’s final Sunday.

The Commanders benched Sam Howell in back-to-back weeks and were set to, prior to a midweek Jacoby Brissett setback, shelve him for Week 17 as well. The Ron Rivera era is in its final days, with front office changes likely as well. A Commanders-Caleb Williams connection has emerged, which would make Washington quite interested in what Chicago does at No. 1 overall — or key another round of Bears talks about dropping from 1 to 2, which took place with the Texans this offseason. With the Bears likely considering another Justin Fields season and the Cardinals having Kyler Murray tied to a $46.1MM-per-year contract, the Commanders are suddenly a team to watch regarding a QB investment.

Bill Belichick is also perched as a key 2024 domino, but with the legendary HC not eager to leave New England, one of the most important decisions in franchise history awaits Robert Kraft. Belichick or his replacement could hold a top-three pick in 2024, though another Pats win — they have the Jets in Week 18 — would complicate an effort to land a top-tier QB prospect.

Entering Week 18, here is how the 2024 draft order looks:

  1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
  2. Washington Commanders: 4-12
  3. New England Patriots: 4-12
  4. Arizona Cardinals: 4-12
  5. New York Giants: 5-11
  6. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-11
  7. Tennessee Titans: 5-11
  8. New York Jets: 6-10
  9. Atlanta Falcons: 7-9
  10. Chicago Bears: 7-9
  11. Las Vegas Raiders: 7-9
  12. Minnesota Vikings: 7-9
  13. New Orleans Saints: 8-8
  14. Denver Broncos: 8-8
  15. Seattle Seahawks: 8-8
  16. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-8
  17. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
  18. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7
  19. Green Bay Packers: 8-8
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-8
  21. Indianapolis Colts: 9-7
  22. Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-7
  23. Los Angeles Rams: 9-7
  24. Buffalo Bills: 10-6
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: 10-6
  26. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-5
  27. Detroit Lions: 11-5
  28. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  29. Miami Dolphins: 11-5
  30. Dallas Cowboys: 11-5
  31. San Francisco 49ers: 12-4
  32. Baltimore Ravens: 13-3

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/1/24

January 1st, 2024 at 7:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the New Year’s Day practice squad decisions from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: OL Jerome Carvin

Green Bay Packers

New York Giants

  • Signed: OLB Jeremiah Martin

Seattle Seahawks

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/30/23

December 30th, 2023 at 9:14pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions and callups for the remainder of the Week 17 matchups:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Alualu is set to make his Lions debut after signing earlier this month. Given the injury issues Detroit has faced up front, the 36-year-old has the chance to see playing time through the close of the regular season and into the playoffs. Alualu expressed a desire to continue playing with the Steelers this offseason, but he remained a free agent deep into the year. His tenure in the Motor City could help boost his free agent stock if he wishes to remain in the league in 2024, though.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/29/23

December 29th, 2023 at 7:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

Badgley has officially been tabbed as the leg to depend on for the remainder of the season as well as for the Lions’ first playoff run since 2016. Detroit waived Riley Patterson two weeks ago, allowing Badgley to stake his claim on the job once again.

The Cabinda departure is a little surprising, considering the Lions just utilized one of their injured reserve activations on the former linebacker yesterday. Because of that investment, it would make sense to see Cabinda return to Detroit on a practice squad deal here in the next few days.

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