The Arizona Cardinals have bigger extension headlines swirling around names like Paris Johnson Jr., Michael Wilson and Garrett Williams, but the quieter contract cases may matter just as much.
Three players set to reach free agency after this season deserve attention from Arizona before they ever get there: Dante Stills, Starling Thomas and Trystan Colon.
Stills has been one of the most dependable pieces on a defensive line that has churned through plenty of faces in recent years. He never arrived with the draft pedigree of Darius Robinson or the buzz of Walter Nolen III, but over three seasons in Arizona, he’s carved out a reputation as one of the steadiest players in the group.
His best trait has been simple availability - he has played no fewer than 15 games in each of the last three seasons - and he’s given the Cardinals value against both the run and the pass. For a room that has often lacked consistency, that matters.
Thomas is a different kind of case. He missed all of last season after suffering a knee injury in training camp, wiping out what looked like a chance to open the year as a starting cornerback.
Before that setback, Arizona got above-average play from him in 2023 and 2024. Now he’s working back toward full strength and should have a chance to compete with Denzel Burke and Max Melton for the starting job opposite Will Johnson.
That spot becomes a third rotational cornerback when Garrett Williams is on the field in base packages. Thomas isn’t a Pro Bowl name, but he gives the Cardinals solid depth and starting upside, which makes a short-term extension worth considering if the injury concern checks out.
Then there’s Gaines, who has never been part of Arizona’s first five and isn’t projected to start this season. Even so, his value shows up in the kind of depth every team needs up front.
After missing his entire rookie season because of injury, he has developed into a useful rotational interior lineman who can play either guard or center. He started five games last season and held up well when his number was called.
The ability to handle center, paired with the athleticism to move like a guard, gives Arizona something useful to keep building on past 2026.
In a league where interior help and reliable depth disappear fast, the Cardinals have three players who fit the kind of business that gets done before free agency starts.
In Other News...
Trey McBride Just Raised Expectations For Two Cardinals Rookies
Trey McBride has spent enough time around young talent to know when a rookie is starting to separate himself, and the Cardinals tight end sounded genuinely impressed by what he has seen from Jeremiyah Love and Carson Beck. Love has already stood out in practice with his route running and playmaking, while Beck has drawn notice for how he looks physically and how he throws the ball, even if the quarterback room still has a clear hierarchy heading into the season.
For Arizona, the interesting part is what McBrides comments say about the depth chart and the pressure that comes with it. Loves early buzz is one thing, but Becks development may be the more delicate storyline, especially with McBride suggesting the rookie is not likely to be pushed into the Week 1 spotlight unless something changes in a big way. For a team trying to build around young pieces, those are the kinds of internal expectations that can matter long before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Have A Chance To Finally Change Everything At Quarterback
The Cardinals have spent years trying to find a quarterback situation that feels stable, and this summer still looks like another test case. As training camp approaches, Arizona is set up with Carson Beck, Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew in the room, a mix that gives the team options but not necessarily a long-term answer, which is why any path to a true upgrade keeps drawing attention.
One speculative route would require a lot to break right, starting with the other side of the equation. Tampa Bay is in contract talks with its starter, but the sides are not close and the Buccaneers are not rushing to finish a new deal, which leaves only a sliver of intrigue around whether Arizona could even get involved. For the Cardinals, the idea is less about fantasy than timing, leverage and whether a franchise that has chased certainty for so long can finally position itself to change the conversation at the most important spot on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Need Darius Robinson To Make His Year 3 Leap Count
Entering his third NFL season, Darius Robinson sounds like a player who knows exactly what the Cardinals need from him now. He has already been through the stop-start early stretch of his career, from the injury that wiped out most of his rookie year to the steady work of carving out a role over 21 games and 12 starts, and this offseason has been about turning that experience into something more dependable. Robinson said he is focused on consistency and on sharpening the pass-rush details that can help him make a bigger impact on an Arizona front that has reason to expect more.
The Cardinals have seen enough to believe the upside is real, and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis has been among those pointing to Robinson as an important part of what they do up front. His run defense and ability to push the pocket have already made him useful, but the next step is the one that can change the conversation around him. Robinsons offseason work, including time at the NFLs Sack Summit, is aimed at making sure this is the year his development starts to show up in a bigger way on Sundays. [Read more 🡒]