Arizona Cardinals Face Tough Roster Decisions Amid Cap Crunch
GLENDALE - After a season that saw the Arizona Cardinals hit rock bottom in the loss column, there’s no sugarcoating it: this franchise is in full reset mode. With a head coaching search already underway and just the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to work with, Arizona enters the offseason with more questions than answers-and only $18.9 million in effective cap space to start solving them.
But there’s a path forward, and it starts with making some hard decisions. According to OverTheCap, nine Cardinals players are among the league’s most likely cut candidates-more than any other team.
That’s not a coincidence. It’s a reflection of a roster in transition, bloated in some areas and underperforming in others.
Here’s a breakdown of those nine players and what their 2026 cap numbers look like:
- Sean Murphy-Bunting: $7.5 million
- Baron Browning: $6.6 million
- James Conner: $8 million
- Bilal Nichols: $6 million
- Dalvin Tomlinson: $14.5 million
- Akeem Davis-Gaither: $4.7 million
- Jacoby Brissett: $5.4 million
- Zaven Collins: $3.4 million
- Evan Brown: $5 million
Of those nine, only Baron Browning has guaranteed money on the books for 2026-$2 million. That gives Arizona some flexibility if they want to clear space, but it also means some tough calls are on the horizon.
Who’s Likely Staying
Let’s start with the players who are expected to stick around: Jacoby Brissett, Baron Browning, and Zaven Collins. None of them are breaking the bank, and all provide valuable depth at key positions.
Brissett may not be a long-term answer at quarterback, but he’s a steady veteran presence who can mentor a young signal-caller or step in when needed. Browning, despite his modest guarantees, offers versatility and upside as a rotational linebacker. And Collins, still on a rookie deal, remains a developmental piece with positional flexibility.
On the Chopping Block
The most likely cuts? Sean Murphy-Bunting, Dalvin Tomlinson, Evan Brown, and Bilal Nichols.
Murphy-Bunting was brought in to be Arizona’s CB1, but a knee injury wiped out his entire 2025 campaign. In his absence, rookies Denzel Burke and Will Johnson stepped up in a big way. With both younger and cheaper, Murphy-Bunting’s $7.5 million cap hit becomes a luxury the Cardinals can’t afford.
Tomlinson’s situation is even more clear-cut. He played every game in 2025, but the production didn’t match the paycheck. One sack, 26 tackles, and a 43.2 PFF grade (ranking him 120th out of 134 interior linemen) just doesn’t cut it-especially when the run defense he was signed to bolster gave up 126.9 rushing yards per game, 25th in the league.
Evan Brown, once a full-time starter, has slid into a depth role. His PFF grade dipped to 54.1, and he hasn’t recaptured the form he showed two seasons ago. At $5 million, it’s hard to justify keeping him around as a backup.
As for Nichols, the availability just hasn’t been there. He’s played only 10 games over the past two seasons and has logged just 13 tackles in that span. For a $6 million cap hit, the return on investment is minimal.
The Toss-Ups: James Conner & Akeem Davis-Gaither
This is where things get tricky. Both James Conner and Akeem Davis-Gaither bring something to the table, but their futures in Arizona are far from secure.
Conner, a two-time Pro Bowler, saw his 2025 season cut short after just three games due to a serious foot injury. He’ll be 31 when the 2026 season kicks off-an age when most running backs start to hit the wall.
Even before the injury, the signs were there: 3.0 yards per carry on 32 attempts. That $8 million cap hit looms large, and while Conner’s leadership and past production might earn him another shot, it’s far from a lock.
Davis-Gaither, meanwhile, had a career-high 117 tackles-second on the team behind Budda Baker-but his impact didn’t match the numbers. A 49.9 PFF grade and a defense that allowed the most points in franchise history tell a more sobering story.
When Mack Wilson Jr. went down, it was rookie Cody Simon who got the green dot, not Davis-Gaither. That says a lot about how the coaching staff views the linebacker room.
Still, at under $5 million, Davis-Gaither is likely to stick around-at least through training camp. But he’ll be in a battle for snaps, and nothing is guaranteed.
What’s Next for Arizona
With a new head coach on the way and a top-three draft pick in hand, the Cardinals are poised to start reshaping their identity. But that process starts with cap management, and this list of nine potential cuts is a clear sign that the front office is already doing the math.
Clearing space won’t solve everything, but it gives Arizona a fighting chance to bring in new talent, shore up weaknesses, and start climbing out of the cellar. The decisions made over the next few weeks will shape not just the 2026 season, but the next phase of the Cardinals’ rebuild.
One thing’s for sure: change is coming to the desert.