2 Cardinals might return on lower salaries
· Yahoo Sports
The Ariona Cardinals made a pair of salary-saving moves this week, both of which were completely expected. They cut ties with defensive lineman Bilal Nichols and linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither. They added a third move on Friday, releasing defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson.
Visit chickenroad-game.rodeo for more information.
However, there were two other moves many have expected that did not occur.
Running back James Conner and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, two players many have expected to be salary cap casualties, remain on the roster.
Conner has a $1 million roster bonus due on March 15 and is scheduled to make almost $6.4 million in salary, counting more than $9.8 million against the salary cap as a 31-year-old running back who played in only three games and averaged only 3.0 yards per attempt in the three games he played.
Murphy-Bunting didn't play last season, injuring his knee in the offseason and spending the year on the non-football injury list. In 2026, the final year of his three-year contract, he is scheduled to make more than $7.1 million in salary.
Perhaps these cuts are coming, but the fact they are still around suggests that perhaps they will avoid getting released by taking a paycut. This sometimes happens. Rather than being released, players sometimes agree to a reduced salary. Former Cardinals offensive lineman Justin Pugh did that.
The Cardinals have young talent at cornerback with Will Johnson, Max Melton and Denzel Burke. They do lack veteran presence.
Conner is a team captain and has been the heart and soul of the offense. Perhaps new head coach Mike LaFleur still believes Conner can lead or produce.
Perhaps they will be released in the days to come, but without those official moves, it increases the likelihood that they remain on the team to start the offseason. March 15 is the date to watch. It is when their roster bonuses are due.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
.oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: James Conner, Sean Murphy-Bunting haven't been cut yet