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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Cardinals Extend RB James Conner

December 5th, 2024 at 8:30pm CST by Ben Levine

DECEMBER 5: Details of Conner’s contract have emerged via OverTheCap. The deal includes $10.39MM in total guarantees, including $8.25MM of fully-guaranteed money. Conner’s $6.75MM signing bonus and his $1.5MM guaranteed salary in 2025 are both fully guaranteed, with an additional $2.14MM of 2025 salary that becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year.

The contract also includes $100k in workout bonuses and $510k in per-game roster bonuses in both 2025 and 2026, as well as a $1MM roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2026 league year. Connor’s 2024 salary cap number rose to $11.24MM to account for the $2.25MM prorated portion of his new signing bonus. His cap hit will be $6.5MM in 2025 and $10.25MM in 2026.

Overall, the deal rewards Conner for his success this season with solid guarantees while the structure minimizes risk for the Cardinals if his effectiveness dips next year. Conner can be released after the 2025 season with just $2.25MM in dead money while saving $8MM against the cap.

NOVEMBER 30: James Conner is sticking in Arizona. The impending free agent running back has signed a two-year extension with the Cardinals, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal is worth $19MM. The extension will keep Conner in Glendale through the 2026 campaign.

The 2025 campaign will represent Conner’s age-30 season, a milestone that teams have generally been wary of investing in. While the RB missed time in each of his first three seasons with the organization, he’s still topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage each year. He’s collected 35 touchdowns over that span, including an 18-score campaign during his debut in Arizona.

Conner has avoided the injury bug for the first chunk of the 2024 campaign, and he’s continued to produce. In 11 games, the 29-year-old has collected 993 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. As Schefter notes, the Cardinals are 5-1 when Conner reaches 100 scrimmage yards…and 1-4 when he doesn’t. The team continues to be especially reliant on their RB1, and he should continue to be a focal point over the next few seasons.

The former third-round pick started his career as Le’Veon Bell‘s backup in Pittsburgh. When the starter sat out the 2018 campaign due to a contract dispute with the Steelers, Conner literally and figuratively ran with the job. Conner finished his sophomore campaign with 1,470 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. Thanks in part to injuries and a drop in efficiency, Conner’ was barely able to match his 2018 numbers to his 2019 and 2020 outputs; between those two campaigns, the RB collected 1,651 scrimmage yards and 13 scores.

The Cardinals were somewhat taking a chance on Conner during the 2021 offseason, signing the RB to a one-year deal. His 18-touchdown performance earned him a new three-year pact with the organization, so today’s extension represents his third contract with the Cardinals.

The front office could have been preparing for a post-Conner backfield when they selected running back Trey Benson in the third round of this year’s draft. The Florida State product will move forward as high-end insurance behind the oft-injured starter.

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this article.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/24

December 5th, 2024 at 7:31pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest moves from around the league, including game day elevations for Thursday Night football:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Designated to return from injured reserve: CB Elijah Jones

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Elevated to the active roster from the practice squad: CB Kalen King

Houston Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

The Lions signed Adams to their practice squad on Sunday after a slew of injuries on Thanksgiving. The onetime All-Pro played 20 snaps across three games for the Titans this year before he landed on the Non-Football injury list and requested his release. Though he’s still listed as a defensive back, Adams is likely to play in the box after Malcolm Rodriguez joined three other Lions linebacker on injured reserve.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/4/24

December 4th, 2024 at 8:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Dallas Cowboys

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: CB Jason Maitre

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/24

December 3rd, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Sincere McCormick has seen a larger role in recent weeks as a practice squad elevation, and now the running back will be secured to the Raiders active roster. After spending the past few years hanging around the organization, the former UDFA finally made his NFL debut earlier this season. With the Raiders dealing with a depleted RB room in recent weeks, McCormick has seen an uptick in snaps, culminating in him collecting 65 yards from scrimmage on Black Friday.

Julius Wood has been hit with a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The safety will now be sidelined for the rest of the 2024 campaign and one game in 2025. The undrafted rookie has appeared in nine games this season, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.

2024 NFL Dead Money, By Team

November 27th, 2024 at 12:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants making the decision to waive Daniel Jones, rather than keep him around ahead of a potential 2025 post-June 1 cut designation, changed their dead money outlook for this year and next. Here is how their new total fits in with the rest of the teams’ numbers for dead money — cap space allocated to players no longer on the roster — entering the final third of the regular season. Numbers courtesy of OverTheCap.

  1. Denver Broncos: $85.21MM
  2. New York Giants: $79.57MM
  3. Minnesota Vikings: $69.83MM
  4. Buffalo Bills: $68.47MM
  5. Carolina Panthers: $68.28MM
  6. Green Bay Packers: $65.53MM
  7. Tennessee Titans: $62.89MM
  8. Philadelphia Eagles: $61.95MM
  9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $60.64MM
  10. New Orleans Saints: $59.44MM
  11. New York Jets: $59.24MM
  12. Los Angeles Chargers: $58.62MM
  13. New England Patriots: $53.37MM
  14. Miami Dolphins: $52.28MM
  15. Seattle Seahawks: $52MM
  16. Jacksonville Jaguars: $51.2MM
  17. Las Vegas Raiders: $49.37MM
  18. Washington Commanders: $42.81MM
  19. Houston Texans: $39.28MM
  20. Cleveland Browns: $38.79MM
  21. Los Angeles Rams: $34.63MM
  22. Detroit Lions: $33.71MM
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: $30.18MM
  24. Chicago Bears: $29.65MM
  25. Arizona Cardinals: $29.35MM
  26. San Francisco 49ers: $26.91MM
  27. Dallas Cowboys: $26.79MM
  28. Baltimore Ravens: $21.35MM
  29. Kansas City Chiefs: $12.65MM
  30. Indianapolis Colts: $11.8MM
  31. Atlanta Falcons: $11.55MM
  32. Cincinnati Bengals: $9.11MM

The Jones release moved more than $13MM of dead cap onto the Giants’ 2024 payroll. More significantly, the Giants granting Jones an early exit — after a contract-driven benching — will prevent the team from designating him a post-June 1 cut next year. The Giants will take on $22.2MM in dead money in 2025, rather than being able to split that bill over two offseasons. The team also took on more than $10MM in dead money this year due to the 2023 Leonard Williams trade.

This year’s most egregious dead money offender has been known for months. The Broncos’ contract-driven Russell Wilson benching last year preceded a historic release, which saddled the team with more than $83MM in total dead money. A small cap credit is set to come in 2025 (via Wilson’s veteran-minimum Pittsburgh pact), but for this year, $53MM in dead cap hit Denver’s payroll as a result of the the quarterback’s release.

The Broncos more than doubled the previous single-player dead money record, which the Falcons held ($40.5MM) for trading Matt Ryan), and they will be on the hook for the final $30MM-plus in 2025. Beyond Wilson, no other ex-Bronco counts more than $7.5MM in dead money. In terms of total dead cap, however, the Broncos barely check in north of the Buccaneers and Rams’ 2023 totals. Denver is trying to follow those teams’ lead in rallying back to make the playoffs despite nearly a third of its 2024 payroll tied up in dead cap.

Twenty-two players represent dead money for the Saints, who have seen their total updated since the Marshon Lattimore trade. Rather than restructure-crazed GM Mickey Loomis using the Lattimore contract once again to create cap space next year, the Saints will take on the highest non-QB dead money hit in NFL history. Lattimore counts $14MM in that category this year before the contract shifts to a whopping $31.66MM in dead cap on New Orleans’ 2025 payroll. Considering the Saints are again in their own sector for cap trouble next year ($62MM-plus over), the Lattimore trade will create some issues as the team attempts to rebound post-Dennis Allen.

Two 2023 restructures ballooned the Vikings’ figure toward $70MM. Void years on Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter‘s deals combined for more than $43MM in dead money. Minnesota also ate nearly $7MM from the void years on Marcus Davenport‘s one-year contract, while the release of 2022 first-rounder Lewis Cine (currently on the Bills’ practice squad) accounted for more than $5MM.

Free from the Tom Brady dead money that comprised a chunk of their 2023 cap, the Bucs still have eight-figure hits from the Carlton Davis trade and Mike Evans‘ previous contract voiding not long before the sides agreed on a new deal. Elsewhere in the NFC South, three of the players given multiyear deals in 2023 — Vonn Bell, Hayden Hurst, Bradley Bozeman — being moved off the roster in GM Dan Morgan‘s first offseason represent nearly half of Carolina’s dead cap.

 

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

November 25th, 2024 at 10:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Week 12 slate of games is in the books. For many teams, attention is increasingly turning toward the offseason with a playoff berth no longer in reach.

Plenty of time remains for the draft order to change over the coming months, and it will be interesting to see which teams wind up in position to add at the quarterback spot in particular. The crop of prospects for 2025 is not held in high regard after Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, meaning the demand for potential franchise passers is set to outweigh demand at the top of the board. Of course, players like Sanders’ Colorado teammate Travis Hunter will be among the ones worth watching closely as well.

The Jets have moved on from head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, inviting questions about a reset under center as well. Aaron Rodgers wants to play in 2025, but it remains to be seen how his relationship with the organization will take shape down the stretch and if a new regime will prefer to move on at the position. The Giants, meanwhile, confirmed they will be in the market for a new signal-caller with Daniel Jones no longer in the fold.

Teams such as the Raiders have long been mentioned as a team to watch regarding a rookie QB pursuit. Jayden Daniels was a target for head coach Antonio Pierce last spring, and it would come as no surprise if Vegas were to make a push for a long-term starting option this time around. Other franchises not on track to qualify for the playoffs figure to give the Raiders plenty of competition in that department, though.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

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

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/23/24

November 23rd, 2024 at 7:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves, including gameday elevations for Week 12:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Cardinals Activate Jonah Williams From IR

November 20th, 2024 at 3:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Cardinals have activated offensive tackle Jonah Williams from injured reserve, per team reporter Dan Urban.

Williams suffered a knee injury just 22 snaps into his Cardinals debut in Week 1, forcing him onto IR and raising concerns over his ability to return this season. Head coach Jonathan Gannon then expressed optimism about Williams’ status in October, and the veteran lineman’s returned to practice two weeks later.

With his 21-day practice window set to close, the Cardinals moved Williams back to the active roster to ensure he would not revert to season-ending injured reserve. Offensive lineman Charlie Heck was waived on Monday to make room for Williams on the 53-man roster.

However, Williams’ activation does not necessarily mean he will start at right tackle in Week 12. Veteran Kelvin Beachum replaced Williams in Week 1 and has started eight of the Cardinals’ nine games since, with Jackson Barton stepping up in Week 3. Beachum earned praise from Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing for his consistency in Williams’ absence, so the Cardinals could give Williams another week of practice before returning him to a starting role.

Beachum is 35 years old and set to be a free agent after the season. He’s performed well this year, allowing just nine quarterback pressures in his nine games, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). However, Williams is under contract through the 2025 season and could profile as a long-term right tackle for the Cardinals at just 27 years old. He has been restricted to limited participation in practice for the last few weeks, but he was officially listed as questionable in Week 10.

Gannon said that he and his staff would “weigh all the variables and decide what is best for the team” at right tackle moving forward.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/19/24

November 19th, 2024 at 7:29pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Washington Commanders

Cardinals LB Markus Bailey Issued Six-Game PED Suspension

November 19th, 2024 at 4:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Markus Bailey will be unavailable to the Cardinals for much of the remainder of the regular season. The fifth-year linebacker was issued a six-game suspension on Tuesday for violating the NFL’s PED policy, the league announced.

Bailey is on Arizona’s practice squad, and he has made one appearance so far in 2024. The 27-year-old spent his first four campaigns with the Bengals, totaling 60 appearances and four starts. He landed a one-year Cardinals deal in May after showing his ability as a backup defender and key special teams presence.

The Purdue product was among Arizona’s final roster cuts, but he was immediately retained on a taxi squad deal. Bailey was only elevated to the active roster for the team’s Week 7 contest, during which he did not see the field on defense but was involved on special teams. Now, he will not be eligible to suit up until the Cardinals’ regular season finale.

Arizona is currently riding a four-game winning streak, and the team leads the NFC West as a result. The Cardinals’ success has come in spite of the fact their defense sits in the bottom half of the league in both passing and rushing yards allowed per game. Overall, a 12th-place ranking in terms of defensive scoring is an encouraging sign for the team’s chances to win a wide-open division and qualify for the postseason in head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Offenfort‘s second year at the helm.

Bailey did not seem to be in Arizona’s linebacker plans when available, so his absence will not be felt to a large degree while he serves the ban. If he remains with the organization over the coming weeks, though, he will be an option to see playing time in Week 18 and/or the playoffs should the Cardinals continue their run of recent success.

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