Cardinals To Place QB Kyler Murray On IR
NOVEMBER 7: Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said (via Urban) he expects Murray to return this season. Whether or not he will reclaim the starting gig even if healthy is another matter, of course, and on that front Ossenfort added “a lot can happen” between now and when a decision may be required.
NOVEMBER 5: Headlines emerged Tuesday when Jonathan Gannon praised his team’s offensive direction under backup Jacoby Brissett, who will start in Week 10. But the Cardinals will have Brissett at the controls for much longer than expected.
Kyler Murray is heading to IR with his mid-foot sprain, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. This will sideline the Arizona starter for at least four games. It comes after some new information, per Gannon, who said (via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban) he viewed Murray as having a chance to return in Week 10 previously.
The timing here is interesting, as Murray has been battling this injury since suffering it during the Cardinals’ Week 5 game. Gannon announced Murray was expected to return Monday night, but by Saturday, the team changed course and ruled him out. Tuesday morning, the third-year HC said nothing had changed with regard to the Cards’ QB depth chart. By Tuesday afternoon, Brissett was named the Week 10 starter — even if Murray could have dressed for the game.
Gannon was careful not to deem Murray benched when speaking Tuesday, as he pointed to the dual-threat passer needing to return to full strength. He repeated that today. Still, the Cards were seemingly ready to have Murray back for their Cowboys matchup. Days later, Brissett will be confirmed — barring injury — to end up starting for a sizable chunk of Arizona’s season. Brissett, 32, is tied to a two-year, $12.5MM deal.
Tuesday’s Murray update also brought a four- to eight-week return timetable. By placing him on IR, the Cardinals are veering toward the longer end of that recovery stretch. Surgery is not believed to be a consideration, but the former No. 1 overall pick’s rehab timeline will be extensive now that the IR move will be executed.
This will be the second IR stay of Murray’s career. He landed there in December 2022 because of the ACL tear he suffered. By the time he returned to action — midway through the 2023 season — the Cardinals had cleaned house, firing Kliff Kingsbury and GM Steve Keim. The Gannon-Monti Ossenfort duo, however, consistently praised Murray — chosen in Kingsbury’s first draft alongside Keim — and has stuck by him throughout its tenure. Murray, though, has not recaptured his Pro Bowl form from the Kingsbury years. This has led to speculation a Cards-Murray separation is coming in 2026.
Gannon’s praise for Brissett is certainly not unwarranted. As was the case during his 2022 Browns stopover, Brissett has run the offense better than the starter. Current Cardinals OC Drew Petzing was the Browns’ QBs coach while Brissett held the job during Deshaun Watson‘s suspension.
While Brissett has enjoyed an up-and-down career, five teams have asked him to be their starter — though, all of these assignments have been due to injuries or as a bridge option (for Drake Maye last season). Brissett is averaging 7.7 yards per attempt to Murray’s 6.0 this season, and the Cardinals are averaging 25.6 points per game under Brissett compared to 21.6 with Murray. This is still a small sample size, but Brissett’s 11-game sample under Petzing in 2022 did make him familiar with the offense coming into this season.
From a short- and long-term perspective, Brissett’s play over the next month will be interesting. While a Geno Smith/Baker Mayfield/Sam Darnold/Daniel Jones-like arc will be a bit difficult to envision here, Brissett faring well would give Gannon a decision to make when Murray returns to full strength.
Murray, 28, secured $32.84MM guaranteed of his $42.84MM 2026 compensation by remaining on Arizona’s roster back in March. If the Cardinals were to arrange a trade, Murray would count less than $18MM on their 2026 cap sheet. That could well become a front-burner conversation near season’s end, but for now, Murray will continue his rehab while on IR.
Jacoby Brissett To Remain Cardinals’ Starting QB
Jacoby Brissett helped lead the Cardinals to a win last night and continued to guide the offense in a way which invited questions about a change atop the quarterback depth chart. Head coach Jonathan Gannon shut those down, but a change of heart may have quickly taken place.
Brissett will in fact continue in his position as Arizona’s QB1, Gannon announced on Tuesday. It remains to be seen if Kyler Murray will be healthy in time for Week 10, but even in that event he will dress as the team’s backup. That would of course represent a major development.
Arizona’s offense has not matched expectations with Murray at the helm. By contrast, the unit has delivered more consistent performances during Brissett’s starts. Gannon’s comments about no permanent swap being considered came as little surprise given the team’s financial commitment to Murray. The former No. 1 pick is under contract through 2028 on a pact which averages $46.1MM per year. Spending any time on the bench while healthy would no doubt lead to a spike in speculation about his Cardinals future.
Gannon noted Murray continues to recover, leaving the door open to him being able to dress in Week 10. The 28-year-old faces the risk of reaggravating his foot injury in the event he returns to action too quickly, however. As such, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports a timeline of four to eight weeks remains in place after consultations with multiple doctors. Surgery is not under consideration, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network adds.
Gannon has repeatedly spoken glowingly about Murray, who is already owed $36.8MM in guarantees for next season. Similarly, his 2027 salary will vest this coming March. By that point, a clearer picture will emerge regarding Murray’s status in terms of his health and his standing with the franchise. The two-time Pro Bowler has started each of his 88 combined regular and postseason appearances to date.
Brissett, 32, has seen time with six NFL teams over the course of his career. He has posted strong numbers (102.5 passer rating, 6:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio) this season while overseeing the Cardinals’ offense. It remains to be seen if that will continue on a permanent basis, but in addition to Murray’s progress in recovery it will be worth monitoring how the team operates when both of its passers are healthy.
Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon On Kyler Murray: ‘Nothing’s Changed’
The Cardinals are not planning to keep Jacoby Brissett at quarterback after Kyler Murray returns from injury.
Murray has missed Arizona’s last three games with a foot injury. The offense has looked better with Brissett under center, averaging five more points per game in his starts compared to Murray’s. Brissett has three straight games with at least 260 passing yards and two touchdowns; Murray has none.
That has led to questions about the Cardinals sticking with Brissett after Murray comes back, but head coach Jonathan Gannon shut such talk down on Monday night.
“Nothing’s changed on that,” Gannon said (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss) when asked about making a change at quarterback.
However, the Cardinals have not found much success under Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort since they were hired together in 2023. They did not draft Murray or sign him to his current contract extension, and could be looking to find a different long-term quarterback that meshes better with their vision for the team.
It would still seem to be unwise for the Cardinals to bench Murray this year. Such a move could be an alarming sign to other teams and drop his trade value in the offseason, and he has enough guaranteed money remaining on his deal to make an outright release uncomfortable for Arizona’s salary cap.
It is also fair to wonder if Murray has been put in the best position to succeed. His results were much better with Kliff Kingsbury calling the offense rather than current OC Tommy Rees, and the Cardinals have not consistently had a strong offensive line since drafting Murray. The Cardinals seem to be approaching a major decision point regarding Murray’s future, but they seem unlikely to bench him before making that call.
Cardinals To Start QB Jacoby Brissett In Week 9
After he missed back-to-back games with a foot injury, it appeared that Cardinals starting quarterback Kyler Murray would return Monday in Dallas. That will not be the case, however, as head coach Jonathan Gannon announced on Saturday that Jacoby Brissett will start in Week 9. (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss).
Murray suffered a version of a Lisfranc injury in a Week 5 loss to the Titans. A Week 8 bye was not enough for the former No. 1 pick to get back to game-readiness, so his veteran backup will get the nod for the third game in a row.
“He’s just not ready to go yet,” Gannon said of Murray, clarifying that his absence is purely health-related.
Gannon also indicated that Murray could still have a “role” on Monday, but that seems to be as more of an emergency option, according to team reporter Darren Urban. Kedon Slovis is the only other QB on the Cardinals’ roster.
A stint on injured reserve is not under consideration at the moment, meaning Murray may be ready for a Week 10 meeting with the NFC West rival Seahawks. Though the Cardinals have lost both of their games without Murray, they went 2-3 in his starts and Brissett has outpaced him statistically.
Murray has completed 68.3% of attempts with six touchdowns against three interceptions this year, but his 6.0 YPA and 88.6 passer rating have underwhelmed. The dual threat has added 173 yards (6.0 YPC) and another touchdown on the ground. Brissett, meanwhile, helped the Cardinals put up fights against high-level opponents in the Colts and Packers over the previous couple of weeks. He combined to go 52-for-80 (65%) for 599 yards, four touchdowns, and a pick, also chipping in 47 rushing yards on 10 attempts.
So far, the Cardinals have gotten plenty of bang from their buck from Brissett since signing him to a two-year, $12.5MM contract in free agency last offseason. The journeyman will have a chance to impress again while facing a Dallas team that ranks 31st in pass defense and and points per game allowed. The Brissett-led Cardinals will look to take advantage of that and snap a five-game losing streak. Remarkably, all of their defeats have come by four or fewer points.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Kyler Murray Expected Back In Week 9
After two games with Jacoby Brissett under center, the Cardinals are moving toward Kyler Murray‘s return. Mentioned before their bye Murray was likely to return in Week 9, Jonathan Gannon confirmed this is the plan.
The third-year Cardinals HC said (via ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss) the team is preparing for Murray to return to the lineup Monday night against the Cowboys. Murray has been battling a foot injury that, somewhat concerningly, was connected to a Lisfranc issue.
Being back after sitting two games represents a win for Murray given the Lisfranc mention; those injuries are certainly known to linger. The two-time Pro Bowler also has run into injuries regularly throughout his pro career. While Murray did miss three games in 2021 and was down for a bit during the 2022 season in which he suffered an ACL tear, this year marked the starter’s first set of absences since his mid-2023 return from that knee injury.
Brissett did well to keep the Cards in games against upper-crust opponents. Although the Cardinals lost to the Colts and Packers, both were narrow defeats. That may not be much consolation to Cardinals fans, as the team is riding a five-game run of one-score defeats. Brissett, however, accounted himself well in backup duty once again. The 10th-year veteran has also now made starts for seven NFL franchises, with his Arizona work following first-string summons in New England, Indianapolis, Miami, Cleveland, Washington and New England.
Working with Drew Petzing for the second time (after the current Cards OC was the Browns’ QBs coach in 2022), Brissett completed just more than 64% of his passes at 7.4 yards per throw. Murray carries a 68% completion rate but is only at 6.0 Y/A through six games. The dual-threat talent has not showcased the form he did during his Pro Bowl years (2020, 2021) since being placed in Petzing’s offense, and the Cardinals are 13-17 with Murray starting under Gannon.
Murray’s 2022 extension has already triggered a sizable 2026 guarantee; by remaining on Arizona’s roster this past March, Murray secured $32.84MM guaranteed of his $42.84MM 2026 compensation. If the Cardinals were to arrange a trade, Murray would count less than $18MM on their 2026 cap sheet. For now, Petzing and Co. will work on getting Murray on the same page with Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. The Cardinals will also be eligible to activate running back Trey Benson from IR beginning in Week 10, but Monday looms as a crucial contest considering the stretch of close losses defining Gannon’s third season.
Prior to Gannon announcing Murray is due back in Week 9, the Cardinals worked out three QBs — Kyle Trask, Logan Woodside and Jeff Driskel, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Arizona has Kedon Slovis stationed as its QB3 on the active roster; no passer resides on the team’s practice squad.
A former second-round pick, Trask played two seasons as a Buccaneers third-stringer behind Tom Brady and Blaine Gabbert; he then lost a competition with Baker Mayfield in 2023. The Bucs re-signed Trask to a one-year, $2.79MM deal this offseason but released him in August. Trask has not landed anywhere since. Driskel’s career included an Arizona stopover, with the journeyman spending most of the 2023 season with the team.
Cardinals Plan To Start Jacoby Brissett In Week 7; Team Aiming For Post-Bye Kyler Murray Return
Kyler Murray missed the Cardinals’ Week 6 game while dealing with a mid-foot sprain. The injury is not completely healed, so Arizona’s starting quarterback is set to remain sidelined.
The Cardinals plan to start Jacoby Brissett once again on Sunday, as first reported by Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The 10th-year veteran made his first start for Arizona last Sunday, completing 27 of 44 passes for 320 yards. Brissett threw a pair of touchdown passes while adding one interception in the Cardinals’ most recent close defeat.
After winning by one score in Weeks 1 and 2, Arizona has dropped four straight games by a combined margin of nine points. Remaining shorthanded on offense will of course be an unwanted development for tomorrow, but Brissett’s showing against the Colts suggests he will be able to keep the team competitive on Sunday versus the Packers. As for Murray, a return could be in store for the Cardinals’ next contest.
The two-time Pro Bowler is expected to suit up after Arizona’s Week 8 bye, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. That would set Murray up for a game against the Cowboys once the Cardinals resume their schedule. Waiting until after the bye would give him additional time to heal and help reduce the chances of his ankle being aggravated. Things could of course change regarding that timeline, but given today’s update a move to injured reserve should certainly not be expected.
Brissett inked a two-year, $12.5MM pact in free agency this spring to take over QB2 duties. The 32-year-old has made 54 starts in his career, and that figure is now set to increase. Meanwhile, Murray’s progress in recovery will be worth watching closely through the Cardinals’ bye.
Most of Murray’s guaranteed money for next season has already been locked in, and he is under contract through 2028. A cautious approach will be understandable on the team’s part, and it will be interesting to see if he is back to full strength by Week 9. In the meantime, Brissett will be tasked with guiding the offense for at least one more week.
Cardinals To Start QB Jacoby Brissett In Week 6
OCT. 12: Brissett will start on Sunday. Murray is inactive, the team announced.
OCT. 11: The door is open to Kyler Murray handling quarterback duties for the Cardinals this week. As things stand, however, it is unlikely that will be the case.
Jacoby Brissett is expected to get the nod on Sunday, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler. Brissett has made a pair of appearances this season, his debut campaign in Arizona. He has yet to make a start for his latest team, though.
[MAILBAG: Looking Into Possible Cardinals Offseason Moves]
Barring an unforeseen development, that will change tomorrow. Murray is still a possibility in terms of suiting up, but he was limited in practice on Friday after missing the previous two days. The former No. 1 pick’s foot ailment is a version of a Lisfranc injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. As a result, Murray’s absence may not be limited to one game. His status will certainly be one to watch closely.
As of yesterday, the Cardinals were uncertain of their Week 6 starter; that left the team to craft plans for both Murray and Brissett. The latter is now in position to take on QB1 responsibilities for at least one week, however. Brissett has 53 starts and 83 appearances to his name. That includes a four-year spell with the Colts; Arizona will play Indianapolis in Week 6.
That Indy tenure included starting duties for two seasons. Brissett has also seen a multi-game run atop the depth chart with the Browns in 2022 while filling in for the suspended Deshaun Watson and at the start of last year before the Patriots handed the reins over to Drake Maye. The 32-year-old has not managed to post a winning record during any of his QB1 runs, but he will be counted on to keep Arizona’s offense afloat for at least one contest.
The Cardinals opened the season with two straight one-score wins, but they have lost three straight contests on game-ending field goals. Murray will be counted on to continue playing a central role in the efforts to reach the postseason when healthy, but his recovery process will determine the point at which he is back to full strength. It would come as little surprise if the Cardinals proceeded with caution in terms of his return to action given Murray’s status as their franchise passer (something all-but confirmed past the current campaign through his contract structure).
The 4-1 Colts have started out N0. 3 in the league in terms of points allowed this season. However, new DC Lou Anarumo‘s unit sits just 19th against the pass and injuries in the secondary remain a concern. That group will look to improve beginning tomorrow against a shorthanded Cardinals offense.
Cardinals Place P Blake Gillikin On IR, Promote Third QB
Cardinals punter Blake Gillikin avoided missing any time after a brief appearance on the team’s injury report in Week 2, but the back injury that ailed him then appears to have returned with a vengeance. The injury forced him to reappear on the injury report as a limited practice participant on Thursday, and yesterday Gillikin didn’t practice at all. Now, he’ll miss the next four games, at least, after being placed on injured reserve today. 
Arizona addressed Gillikin’s potential absence yesterday by signing veteran punter Pat O’Donnell. O’Donnell punted for the Bears for eight years after Chicago drafted him in the sixth-round in 2014. He spent one year after Chicago with the Packers but remained a free agent throughout the 2023 season. Last year, he got a similar call from the 49ers, who held on to him for eight games after Mitch Wishnowsky was sidelined for the second half of the season with a back injury of his own.
It now makes sense that the Cardinals signed O’Donnell directly to the 53-man roster instead of stashing him on the practice squad first. Practice squad players can only be called up three times on a single practice squad contract, and with Gillikin forced to miss four games, at least, Arizona would’ve needed to add O’Donnell to the active roster at some point.
Taking Gillikin’s slot on the 53-man roster will be practice squad quarterback Kedon Slovis. Teams are allowed to have a third quarterback suit up as an emergency option but only if all three passers are on the active roster. Starter Kyler Murray is questionable to play tomorrow after missing nearly all of practice this week with a foot injury. If Slovis had just been called up as a standard gameday practice squad elevation, then Murray would likely have been ruled out, since only two quarterbacks could’ve been active. But with Slovis on the active roster, Murray still could start with Jacoby Brissett serving as the primary backup and Slovis suited up as an emergency third option.
With both gameday elevations available, the Cardinals will call up defensive linemen Zachary Carter and Anthony Goodlow from the practice squad.
Cardinals Preparing For Kyler Murray Or Jacoby Brissett To Start
OCTOBER 10: Murray returned to practice on Friday, per Cardinals senior writer Darren Urban. He is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.
OCTOBER 9: With starting quarterback Kyler Murray dealing with a foot injury, the Cardinals are preparing for him or backup Jacoby Brissett to start in Week 6 in Indianapolis, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Murray went down in Arizona’s Week 5 matchup with the Titans, but returned to finish the game. He then missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday, throwing his status for Sunday’s matchup with the Colts into doubt. Even if he practices Friday, he will be a “close call,” per Fowler, indicating that the Cardinals may be making a game-time decision on their starting quarterback.
During a 2-3 start for the Cardinals, Murray has completed 68.3 percent of passes for 962 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions.
As the dual threat continues distancing himself from the torn ACL he suffered in 2022, Murray made it clear during the offseason that he planned to run more this year. The 28-year-old has done just that, having averaged just under six rushes per game while amassing 173 yards (6.0 YPC) and a score. He posted an eye-popping 7.3 yards per rush last year during his first 17-game slate, though he did that on fewer than five attempts per contest.
With Murray relying so much on his mobility (he’s a career 3,000-yard rusher with 32 TDs on the ground), a foot injury is less than ideal and could lead the Cardinals to start Brissett on Sunday. The well-traveled veteran, 32, made the Cardinals the sixth organization of his career when he signed a two-year pact with them in the offseason.
Since debuting in 2016, Brissett has made 53 starts, including five with the Patriots in 2024. He connected on 59% of passes for 826 yards, two TDs, and a pick last year.
If Brissett plays this week, he’ll be facing one of his former teams. A Colt from 2017-20, Brissett took over as their starter when Andrew Luck abruptly retired in August 2019. The Brissett-led Colts went 7-9 that season. Six years since Luck stepped away, the Colts still haven’t found a franchise QB, though offseason free agent addition Daniel Jones has surprisingly played like one during a 4-1 start in 2025.
While Jones and the Colts are coming off a 40-6 rout of the Raiders, the Cardinals have dropped three in a row by a combined five points. They’ll hope Brissett can help turn their fortunes around if Murray is unable to play.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Largest 2025 Cap Hits: Offense
Last offseason brought about a record-breaking jump in the salary cap. This year, the ceiling rose to $279.2MM, another notable spike. The market at a number of positions will benefit from the ongoing surge in spending power available to teams, with quarterbacks obviously the largest standout in that respect.
In 2024, a pair of signal-callers surpassed the $50MM mark in terms of cap charges for the season. That will not be the case this time around, but to little surprise quarterbacks once again lead the way in terms of representing the largest share of many teams’ financial commitments for 2025. Positions such as receiver and offensive tackle have also generally not reached the same peak in terms of cap commitments as last year.
Leading up to training camp, are the NFL’s top 25 cap charges for offensive players:
- Dak Prescott, QB (Cowboys): $50.52MM
- Matthew Stafford, QB (Rams): $47.47MM
- Joe Burrow, QB (Bengals): $46MM
- Lamar Jackson, QB (Ravens): $43.5MM
- Kyler Murray, QB (Cardinals): $43.33MM
- Kirk Cousins, QB (Falcons): $40MM
- Geno Smith, QB (Raiders): $40MM
- Tua Tagovailoa, QB (Dolphins): $39.18MM
- Justin Herbert, QB (Chargers): $37.35MM
- Josh Allen, QB (Bills): $36.34MM
- Deshaun Watson, QB (Browns): $35.97MM
- Jared Goff, QB (Lions): $32.6MM
- Taylor Moton, RT (Panthers): $31.35MM
- Jordan Love, QB (Packers): $29.69MM
- Patrick Mahomes, QB (Chiefs): $28.06MM
- Calvin Ridley, WR (Titans): $28MM
- Tyreek Hill, WR (Dolphins): $27.7MM
- Jawaan Taylor, RT (Chiefs): $27.39MM
- Baker Mayfield, QB (Buccaneers): $26.48MM
- Terry McLaurin, WR (Commanders): $25.5MM
- Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers): $25.36MM
- D.J. Moore, WR (Bears): $24.9MM
- Tee Higgins, WR (Bengals): $24.06MM
- Ja’Marr Chase, WR (Bengals): $23.57MM
- Trey Smith, RG (Chiefs): $23.4MM
Prescott’s last-minute 2024 Cowboys extension made him the first player in NFL history to carry an AAV of $60MM. That pact will have lasting impacts well beyond the coming campaign, as the team looks to also fit in the big-ticket extension CeeDee Lamb inked last summer and the one Micah Parsons is in position to sign at some point before Week 1. 
Once again, Stafford and the Rams entered the spring with plenty of uncertainty. Retirement was a consideration quickly done away with in the case of the 37-year-old, but it remained to be seen if he would remain in Los Angeles. Trade offers came in from numerous suitors, and the chance existed for Stafford to land a more lucrative deal elsewhere. In the end, though, team and player reached agreement on another reworked pact. Stafford is now in line to receive $84MM over the next two years, including guaranteed money in 2026. A bit of continuity will thus be in place under center for the Rams.
2020 draft classmates Burrow, Tagovailoa and Herbert are understandable top-10 players on this list given their respective deals. All three are on the books for years to come as they look to unseat the Chiefs atop the AFC. Burrow spoke about restructuring his pact to create the cap space necessary for the Bengals to retain or extend each of their key in-house players this offseason. That has yet to take place, and it will be interesting to see if a reworking is explored while talks on the Trey Hendrickson front continue.
The Ravens have worked out a few extensions on offense already (Derrick Henry, Rashod Bateman) but Jackson looms as a candidate for a new deal. Three years remain on his pact, but starting in 2026 his cap charge is scheduled so spike well past its current figure. The two-time MVP has discussed a new arrangement this offseason, and a bump in guarantees and overall compensation similar to what the Bills did with Allen would come as no surprise.
Cousins’ figure stands out, of course, given the fact he is slated to operate as Atlanta’s backup this season. With no release coming and no trade imminent, the four-time Pro Bowler is set to stay in place behind Michael Penix Jr. Cousins has made progress in his rehab from shoulder and ankle injuries suffered prior to his benching midway through his debut Atlanta season. With $10MM already guaranteed for next year, it will be interesting to see if a trade market develops in the coming months in his case.
With the exception of Watson – whose second Achilles tear is set to sideline him for most or all of the coming campaign – the remaining quarterbacks on the list are positioned to serve as starters for their respective teams. Only Geno Smith will be suiting up for a new organization after he was traded from the Seahawks to the Raiders. That swap was followed up by a two-year, $75MM extension and allowed him to reunite with head coach Pete Carroll. A short-term upgrade under center will be key as Vegas looks to find stability on the sidelines and in the front office.
Moton’s cap figure was a talking point earlier this offseason, but the Panthers are content to avoid a fourth restructure in his case. The pending free agent hopes to finish his career in Carolina, but an extension would have helped ensure that while lowering his immediate cap charge. In the absence of such an agreement, it will be interesting to see if Moton, 30, can deliver another strong showing in 2025.
Ridley is perhaps a surprising figure to lead the way in terms of cap charges at the receiver spot. He will operate as a key member of the Titans’ offense, a unit whose success will of course depend in large part on the play of rookie Cam Ward. Ridley has two more years left on his deal beyond 2025, but with limited guarantees owed over that span his Tennessee future could be greatly impacted by who this season plays out. 
The likes of Hill, Evans and Moore are not currently the subject of speculation regarding their future. McLaurin, however, was absent from much of the Commanders’ spring practices with little progress being made at the negotiating table. Plenty of work is still required at this point to avoid a potential free agent departure next spring. Coming off a career-high in touchdowns while thriving alongside Jayden Daniels, the two-time Pro Bowler is in line for a raise which will likely lower his cap hit this season.
Chase and Higgins inked their deals simultaneously, putting an end to questions regarding where the latter in particular would play on his second contract. Those two, together with Burrow, will serve as foundational players for years to come in Cincinnati. It will be interesting to see how long Chase (with an AAV of $40.25MM) remains the league’s top earner in that respect for non-quarterbacks.
Kansas City’s offensive line faces questions entering the season. Despite his big-ticket contract, Taylor is not a lock to remain a starter at this point. With no guaranteed left on the final year of his deal (2026), a parting of ways could be in store next spring if a backup gig ensues. Trey Smith, meanwhile, remains attached to the franchise tag although an extension is among the team’s remaining offseason priorities.