Following a one-season stop in Detroit, Roy Lopez is heading back to Arizona. The Cardinals have agreed to a contract with the free agent defensive tackle, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
It will be a two-year deal for Lopez, according to Rapoport. The contract is worth $11.5MM, including $7MM guaranteed.
Lopez inked a one-year, $4.65MM deal with the Lions last offseason. While he didn’t start any of his 17 games, he still got into about 40 percent of Detroit’s defensive snaps. The 28-year-old ended up finishing the season with 30 tackles and two sacks, with Pro Football Focus grading him 33rd among 127 qualifying interior defenders.
After spending two seasons in Houston to begin his career, Lopez spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons in Arizona. After starting five of his 14 appearances during his first year with the organization, he started all 16 of his games in 2024. He ended up finishing his first Cardinals stint with 70 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
Now, Lopez is back in Arizona, where he should play a significant role on the Cardinals defensive line. The team already moved on from Dalvin Tomlinson, who accounted for 555 snaps in Arizona last season. Lopez will likely soak up those snaps while joining Dante Stills and Darius Robinson as the team’s DT trio.
Lopez had a good season with the Lions. This loss will be felt in Detroit.
Gruß,
BSHH