The Cardinals passed on making any waiver claims after roster cuts, and head coach Mike LaFleur made it clear that decision wasn’t about sitting still for the sake of it. It was about whether anyone on the wire truly represented a real upgrade.
“Well, I wouldn’t say (that, but) … yes we do like who we have, but you’re always trying to upgrade the roster,” LaFleur said, via CardsWire. “But you have to say, ‘Is this guy one do we think he is going to upgrade the roster?’
and two if it’s close; the time on task that you have with the guys currently in the building compared to a guy coming off the street that has to learn our building, have to learn the coach, have to learn the scheme, all those kind of things. So, there’s a lot that goes into it to decide if you’re going to swap someone out.”
In Los Angeles, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that Aaron Donald was lined up to earn $30 million in the final year of his Rams deal before retiring. Under a revised 2026 contract, Breer wrote that Donald would have a $10 million base salary, plus another $10 million in active-roster bonuses and a final $10 million tied to playing time and playoff incentives.
Breer also expects Donald to be on the field for 30-40 snaps per game. And while there has been discussion about the veteran waiting until October or November to return, Breer said Donald wants to “be a part of the journey in full.”
Out in Seattle, the Seahawks moved forward with signing CB Terrion Arnold even though he is facing eight felony charges tied to an alleged kidnapping and armed robbery case. GM John Schneider said the team was comfortable making the move because Arnold’s character didn’t line up with the allegations.
“There is a ton of different factors that went into it,” Schneider said, via PFT. “Obviously, the legal stuff has to take care of itself, and we totally respect that.
There are tons of different buckets to this situation. Just the advocates that we had, you know.
We traded for Leon Washington the first year that we were here, and he’s basically like his father. Leon [Washington] will always be a legend here, and he has a great relationship with the organization.
The character just didn’t really fit with the allegations and everybody we’ve talked to. But yes, there’s a long-term play.
This isn’t a, ‘Let’s see how quickly we can get this done.’ Let’s get him in the building and see how it goes.”
In Other News...
Rams Roster Cuts Already Stir Debate Over Who Really Got A Fair Shot
The Rams roster cutdown day brought the usual churn, trimming the group from 90 to 53 and forcing some difficult calls that immediately fueled debate about how certain players were evaluated. Cornerback Cam Lampkin landing on the practice squad after clearing waivers was one of the more notable outcomes, the kind of move that tends to make fans and evaluators alike wonder whether every player got the same chance to show what he could do.
Former Rams quarterback Jim Everett helped frame the human side of the process, pointing out how hard cutdown day can be for players who spend training camp fighting for a spot and then have to absorb the news all at once. A few of the names that came off the initial roster have already resurfaced on the practice squad, while other players around the league, like running back Jarquez Hunter, have been caught up in trades or waiver decisions, a reminder that this part of the calendar is rarely tidy for anyone involved. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Defensive Line Shakeup Just Added Intrigue To Rams Opener
The Rams season opener in Melbourne just got a little more complicated, because the 49ers are already adjusting their defensive front before the teams even take the field. San Francisco signed Khalid Kareem to a one-year contract and sent Sam Okuayinonu to injured reserve with a foot injury, a move that thins out the line and forces an early reshuffle for a defense that the Rams were already preparing to study closely.
Kareems arrival adds a familiar wrinkle, too, since he previously played for Raheem Morris in Atlanta and gives San Francisco another body in the rotation. Okuayinonu has been ruled out for the Melbourne game and will be sidelined for at least four games under league rules, leaving the 49ers to sort out how much of their depth can be rebuilt in time for a matchup that already carried plenty of early-season weight for the Rams. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald's Rams Return Came Amid A Troubling Off-Field Fight
Aaron Donalds return to the Rams came against a backdrop that had nothing to do with football. Before he put pen to paper on his one-year comeback deal with Los Angeles, Donald had already been pulled into a family dispute playing out in court, where he sought the removal of a French bulldog from the home of his ex, Jaelynn Blakey, saying the animal posed a danger to their children.
Court filings showed the issue centered on claims that the dog had bitten the children, while Blakey disputed that it was dangerous. A later stipulation indicated the dog was removed, and only after that off-field fight had unfolded did Donald confirm what Rams fans were waiting to hear: he was back in the fold for another season in Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]