Indeed, aside from the $6MM roster bonus, Taylor is owed a fairly modest $10MM base salary, and it’s not as if the free agent QB market is likely to set the world on fire. Plus, there will be plenty of teams who are unable to address their QB needs in the draft. La Canfora names the Jaguars, Broncos, Cardinals, and Saints as potential landing spots for Taylor, and he says the Bills will be doing their own homework on the 2018 quarterback draft class. He also says the Bills could continue to look to trade Cordy Glenn this offseason.
It’s a done deal. On Friday morning, the Cardinals announced a new one-year extension for wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. The veteran is now signed through the 2018 season. 
The deal is worth $11MM and includes a no-trade clause, according to Mike Jurecki of 98.7FM. The pact also includes incentives that can give him an extra $1MM if he reaches No. 2 on the NFL’s all-time receiving list.
Fitzgerald was considering retirement and many believed that the 2017 campaign would be his last. It’s still possible that he walks away at the end of the season, but there is at least a deal in place if the wide receiver decides to run it back one more time.
There’s a case to be made for both retirement and continuing. On one hand, Fitzgerald could leave on a high note – he currently leads the NFC with 60 receptions and is on pace for 107 catches and 1,204 receiving yards. No player in league history has ever had more than 100 catches and 1,000 yards in a season started at the age of 34 or higher. The odds of an encore, historically, are not on his side. Then again, it’s clear that he still has something left in the tank.
If Fitzgerald plays out this new deal, next year will be his 16th season on the field. Only quarterback Jim Hart (18) and kicker Jim Bakken (17) have played in more seasons for the Cardinals franchise (Twitter link via Mark Dalton of the Cardinals). If he plays every game through 2018, he’ll match Bakken for most regular season games played in Cardinals history with 234.
There are also lots of NFL records within range for Fitzgerald. With another 141 catches, he’ll leapfrog tight end Tony Gonzalez for second all-time in NFL history behind Jerry Rice. The 10-time Pro Bowler (likely en route to No. 11) can become third in all-time receiving yards this season with another 227 yards, allowing him to bypass Randy Moss. After that, he’s just another 642 yards away from topping Terrell Owens for second place.
The Cardinals also have quarterback Carson Palmer and coach Bruce Arians under contract through next season, meaning that the familiar trio could return for 2018.
- Given the injury to quarterback Drew Stanton, the Cardinals could opt to start Blaine Gabbert under center on Sunday, and the club is reportedly “intrigued” by the former first-round pick, reports Mike Jurecki of 98.7 FM (Twitter link), who adds Arizona believes Gabbert could be more than a bridge option for the club. While Gabbert does come with a high draft pedigree, he’s shown nothing in the NFL during his six-year career. Since entering the league in 2011, Gabbert ranks dead last in quarterback rating, touchdown percentage, and adjusted net yards per pass attempt. Both Gabbert and Stanton are scheduled to become free agents next spring, while starter Carson Palmer could theoretically hang up his cleats after flirting with retirement earlier this year.
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted to active roster: T Vinston Painter
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OL Tyler Catalina
- Placed on injured reserve: OL T.J. Clemmings
The Cardinals and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald are nearing an extension that would keep him in Arizona through 2018, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
Fitzgerald, now in his age-34 campaign, has flirted with retirement in the past, and while a new contract would certainly indicate that Fitzgerald plans to play in 2018, that’s not a guarantee. Instead, the deal will simply ensure that Fitzgerald will spent next season with the Cardinals if he decides to return for a 16th NFL season.
Fitzgerald agreed to a similar extension in August 2016, inking a deal that contained an $11MM base salary for the 2017 season. However, that contract did not contain any guaranteed money, and Florio at the time described the pact as a “free disability policy” for Fitzgerald. As such, it shouldn’t be surprising if Fitzgerald’s new extension is similar in format.
Not only the greatest Cardinals receiver in the history of the franchise but one of the NFL’s best pass-catchers of all time, Fitzgerald is still plugging along in an Arizona offense that is down to its backup quarterback. On 88 targets, Fitzgerald has posted 60 receptions, 677 yards, and three scores. Essentially playing as an undersized tight end in Bruce Arians‘ offense, Fitzgerald is also an asset as a blocker in the run game.
The Cardinals aren’t in contention for a playoff berth this season, and conventional wisdom had been that the club had missed its final shot at a Super Bowl run. But if Carson Palmer (who is also signed through 2018), Fitzgerald, and Arians all return next year, Arizona could potentially take one more run at a title.
Under the terms of his previous extension, Fitzgerald had a cap hit of $4.85MM on the Cardinals’ 2018 books. That was because Arizona used a void year, enabling the team to spread out Fitzgerald’s signing bonus. Had Fitzgerald retired or left the Cardinals as a free agent, the club would have absorbed that $4.85MM in dead money.
- Cardinals defensive tackle Corey Peters has a high ankle sprain and will be sidelined for “awhile,” head coach Bruce Arians told reporters, including Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). High ankle sprains are typically four-to-six weeks injuries, which means Peters will be a candidate for injured reserve, especially since Arizona isn’t in the playoff hunt. Peters, 29, has played the second-most snaps among Cardinals defensive lineman this season, so his absence will certainly be felt. Backups Robert Nkemdiche, Rodney Gunter, Olsen Pierre, and Xavier Williams could now be line for more action.
- The Lions are now paying practice squad tight end Hakeem Valles at the active roster rate ($32K per week), reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That’s because the Cardinals recently attempted to poach Valles when they lost fellow tight end Ifeanyi Momah for the remainder of the season, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Valles, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Monmouth in 2016, spent the 2016 campaign with Arizona, appearing in 11 games (one start) for the club). Detroit, meanwhile, currently has three tight ends on its 53-man roster: Eric Ebron, Darren Fells, and Michael Roberts.
Here are today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Jarell Carter
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Tanner Gentry, OL Travis Averill
- Released: WR Darreus Rogers
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Matt LaCosse
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on injured list: OL J.P. Flynn
With quarterback Drew Stanton suffering through a knee injury, the Cardinals have added some reinforcement at the position. The Cardinals announced this evening that they have signed quarterback Matt Barkley. The team has also promoted safety Harlan Miller from the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the team has placed safety Tyvon Branch, offensive tackle D.J. Humphries and tight end Ifeanyi Momah on injured reserve.
We learned last week that Stanton had suffered a sprained knee during Thursday’s loss to the Seahawks, and there were reports that the team could turn to Barkley for a backup role. A former fourth-round pick, Barkley played in seven games (six starts) for the Bears last season, completing 59.7-percent of his passes for 1,611 yards, eight touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. The 27-year-old inked a two-year deal with the 49ers during the offseason, but he was released at the end of the preseason. Barkley also had a stint with Arizona between 2015 and 2016.
Assuming Stanton, who was filling in for the injured Carson Palmer, misses time, Blaine Gabbert will get the first shot at the starting gig. The 28-year-old appeared in six games (five starts) for the 49ers in 2016, completing 56.9-percent of his passes for 925 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions. He’s yet to appear in a game this season.
We learned earlier this week that Branch, Humphries, and Momah were likely to miss the rest of the season. Branch suffered a torn ACL during Thursday’s contest, and considering his impending free agency, his injury-filled tenure with the Cardinals could be over. Humphries dislocated his kneecap and suffered MCL damage on Thursday night, ending the third-year edge blocker’s season prematuraly. Momah, a former undrafted free agent out of Boston College, injured his knee against the Seahawks.
Miller, a 2016 sixth-round pick, started two games for Arizona as a rookie, compiling seven tackles and one interception. He was waived by the organization in early September but ultimately landed on the team’s taxi squad.
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on injured reserve: TE Ifeanyi Momah
New York Giants
- Waived from injured reserve: DE Nordly Capi
- On the subject of Cardinals quarterbacks, they might have to start a third this season. Drew Stanton suffered a sprained knee in Thursday’s loss to the Seahawks, Mortensen tweets. The Cards would start Blaine Gabbert in the event Stanton can’t go in Week 11 against the Texans. Mortensen adds Matt Barkley will be re-signed in this scenario. Barkley’s worked out for several teams this season since the 49ers cut him. The USC product played for the Cardinals in 2015.
- Carson Palmer is not ruling out the possibility of returning for the Cardinals‘ last two regular-season games, but like Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback would need his team to have a reason to bring him off IR. “I could potentially be available the last two weeks of the season,” Palmer said Saturday, via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “Who knows? I don’t know where I’ll be (with rehab) at that point. I don’t know where we will be as a team at that point. I just try to be as ready as I can as quick as I can.” Palmer did not give any indication as to which way he’s leaning regarding retirement, only to say he’s focused on returning from this broken arm. He’s under contract through next season.
- On the subject of Cardinals quarterbacks, they might have to start a third this season. Drew Stanton suffered a sprained knee in Thursday’s loss to the Seahawks, Mortensen tweets. The Cards would start Blaine Gabbert in the event Stanton can’t go in Week 11 against the Texans. Mortensen adds Matt Barkley will be re-signed in this scenario. Barkley’s worked out for several teams this season since the 49ers cut him. The USC product played for the Cardinals in 2015.