The Arizona Cardinals were officially eliminated from the postseason following a Week 13 loss to the Buccaneers, flipping them into offseason mode with a large focus on the QB1 position.

They enter December with 51 contracts on the books for 2026, though two (OT Jonah Williams, S Jalen Thompson) are void caps that will convert to dead cap if those players aren’t extended. For now, that represents around $39.4M of cap space against a projected $304.3M league cap next season.

Arizona holds all of their draft picks in 2026 (1 per round), and are highly likely to carry a lottery pick (Top 10) in the first round.

Early Offseason Questions

  • Will Arizona find a trade partner for QB Kyler Murray?
  • Has Jacoby Brissett done enough to warrant a full-time look in 2026?
  • How much of the defense is slated for turnover?

Notable Free Agents

(Current Spotrac APY Valuation)

RT Jonah Williams ($11M)
DL Calais Campbell ($11M)
S Jalen Thompson ($9.5M)
DL L.J. Collier ($2.4M)
G Will Hernandez ($2M)
LT Kelvin Beachum ($2M)
WR Greg Dortch ($1.6M)
WR Zay Jones ($1.5M)

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Extension/Option Candidate

OT Paris Johnson

The #6 overall pick back in 2023 will need to have his 5th-year option (for 2027) exercised by this coming May 1st. That option salary currently projects to come in at around $22M, and should be considered a no-brainer exercise for Arizona. Johnson also becomes extension-eligible for the first time this winter, and is largely expected to be in discussions for a new deal. He projects toward a 3 year, $74M extension in our system.

Bubble Candidates

RB James Conner

Release Candidate

Conner missed most of 2025 with an ankle injury, putting his $8M salary for 2026 on notice. Arizona can free up that full $8M before a $1M roster bonus is due on March 15th.

DL Dalvin Tomlinson

Release Candidate

Signed a 2 year, $29M free agent contract this past March with an equal $14.5M to be earned per year. The Cardinals may look to get out of the back half of this deal before a $3M guarantee locks in next March 15th ($6.8M of dead cap, $9.4M to be saved).

ED Bilal Nichols

Release Candidate

The 29-year-old has had back-to-back injury-filled seasons, putting a non-guaranteed $6M for 2026 on notice.

CB Sean Bunting

Release Candidate

Spent 2025 on the NFI following knee surgery, making it tough to imagine Arizona taking on the $7.5M owed in 2026 ($2M dead cap against a $9.5M hit).

QB Kyler Murray

Trade Candidate

A foot injury derailed another inconsistent season from Murray, who has been replaced by veteran Jacoby Brissett for the foreseeable future. Arizona may look to shop the 2019 #1 overall pick this spring, hoping to move on from the 2 years, $79M remaining through 2027. A trade prior to March 15th (when a $17M roster bonus is due) would leave behind $18M of dead cap to the Cardinals, while the acquiring team would be taking on initial cap hits of $42.5M, & $36.3M respectively.

S Budda Baker

Trade Candidate

Baker’s name was floated as a potential candidate around this past deadline, putting him in position to generate interest this coming offseason. The contract carries 2 years, $34M remaining, including $7.7M of $16.1M fully guaranteed for the upcoming 2026 season. Arizona can free up $13.1M of space by trading Baker before a $1M roster bonus is due on March 15th, while the acquiring team would take on $16.1M in 2026; $17.8M in 2027.

Potential Cap Conversions

ED Josh Sweat

His $17M salary for 2026 is already fully guaranteed. Converting most of that to bonus (and adding 2 void years), can create over $7.7M of cap space.

Related Links
2026 Cardinals Cap Table
2026 Cardinals Free Agents
Offseason Financial Guides