The Cardinals are re-signing defensive lineman L.J. Collier to a one-year deal worth $2.5million, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
Collier, 30, has spent the past three seasons in Arizona.
He entered the NFL as a first-round pick of the Seahawks in 2019, and spent his first four seasons in Seattle. Collier totaled 40 tackles, three sacks, five passes defensed and 13 quarterback hits in his time there.
Collier signed with the Cardinals before the 2023 season. He missed 16 games that season and 13 games in 2025.
In his career, Collier has played only 67 games with 32 starts. He has recorded 77 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 21 quarterback hits and seven passes defensed.
#MinshewMania is headed to the desert.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew is signing a one-year deal with the Cardinals, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The contract is worth $8 million, per Schefter.
Minshew, 29, spent last season with the Chiefs. While he started one game after quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL, Minshew suffered a bone bruise in his knee that kept him out for the rest of the season.
Minshew has started at least one game every season since the Jaguars selected him in the sixth round of the 2019 draft. He went 7-6 as a starter for Indianapolis in 2023, earning a Pro Bowl berth. He started nine games for the Raiders in 2024, completing 66.3 percent of his throws for 2,013 yards with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
In all, Minshew has appeared in 63 games with 47 starts for Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and Kansas City.
With Kyler Murray on his way out, Minshew will join a QBs room with Jacoby Brissett and Kedon Slovis.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said recently that he plans to “bust the budget” when it comes to adding players to improve their defense in 2026 and the team made its first free agency splash on Sunday afternoon.
According to multiple reports, they have agreed to a three-year deal with safety Jalen Thompson. Thompson, who is No. 69 on PFT’s top free agent list, stands to make a maximum of $36 million under the terms of the deal.
Thompson joined the Cardinals as a fifth-round pick in the 2019 supplemental draft and spent the last seven seasons in Arizona. He started all 62 games he played over the last four of those seasons and wrapped up his time with the NFC West by recording 95 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in 2025.
The Cowboys also agreed to a trade with the Packers that will bring defensive lineman Rashan Gary to Dallas.
Tyler Allgeier is headed to the desert.
According to multiple reports, Allgeier has agreed to a two-year deal with the Cardinals.
A fifth-round pick in 2022, Allgeier has rushed for 2,876 yards with 18 touchdowns in 67 games in his career. He’s also caught 61 passes for 516 yards with two TDs.
While Allgeier rushed for 1,035 yards with three touchdowns as a rookie, he hasn’t reached that level of production since, as Atlanta drafted Bijan Robinson in 2023.
Still, Allgier has been durable, playing all 17 games in each of the last three seasons.
The Cardinals recently struck a deal to retain starting running back James Conner, who missed most of the 2025 season with a foot injury. Allgeier will provide another solid option at the position for new head coach Mike LaFleur.
When the new league year begins and multiple veteran quarterbacks are released, multiple teams will be in line for a major bargain.
With the Cardinals owing Kyler Murray $36.8 million, the Raiders owing Geno Smith $18.5 million, and the Dolphins owing Tua Tagovailoa $54 million, each could take a one-year deal for $1.3 million and stick their former teams with the balance.
That’s what Russell Wilson did two years ago, after the Broncos released him. Denver owed Wilson $39 million. He took a one-year contract for the then-veteran minimum of $1.21 million. (That year, the Steelers ultimately paid their entire depth chart — Wilson, Justin Fields, Kyle Allen — less than former Pittsburgh backup Mason Rudolph got in Tennessee.)
While there’s a chance Smith can command more than $18.5 million, Murray and Tagovailoa definitely will be in the minimum-salary category. It makes both of them more attractive.
The Vikings undoubtedly will pursue one of them. Other teams will, too. And they each should try to get a no-trade clause and a no-tag clause, guaranteeing that: (1) they won’t be shipped to another team without having input in the matter; and (2) they’ll have a clear shot at free agency if things go well in 2026.
Kirk Cousins, who also will be cut on Wednesday, has a 2026 guarantee of only $10 million. Based on his performance in 2025, he most likely will not be a minimum-salary option. The availability of the other three, however, could make it harder for Cousins to find a landing spot. Some teams will be inclined to take a far cheaper option in lieu of paying Cousins at least $20 million for 2026, if not more.
