ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals received nearly $16 million more in salary over the weekend after former left tackle D.J. Humphries’ salary officially came off Arizona’s books.
Humphries – who tore his ACL towards the end of 2023 – was released with a Post June 1 designation, meaning he effectively became a free agent back in March while his cap hit remained with the Cardinals until just now.
For a deeper dive into the financial aspects, you can read here.
$15.95 million was officially added to the Cardinals’ 2024 salary cap space, pushing them near the top of the league.
*all figures via Over The Cap*
1. New England Patriots ($46.4 million)
The Patriots’ top earner is Matt Judon at $14.6 million in 2024 – in terms of cap number. New England has just five players making more than $8 million this season.
2. Washington Commanders ($43.4 million)
Washington’s salary is fairly top heavy this season, as three players have cap numbers of $21 million or higher in Terry McLaurin ($24.1 million), Daron Payne ($21.6 million) and Jonathan Allen ($21.4 million).
Their next highest cap hit is Andrew Wylie at $9.4 million.
3. Detroit Lions ($40.3 million)
Though recently extended, Jared Goff’s $27.2 million cap hit is tops in Detroit with Taylor Decker ($19.1 million) and Frank Ragnow ($12.8 million) right behind.
4. Arizona Cardinals ($35.5 million)
Kyler Murray’s massive $49.1 million cap hit ranks near the top of the league and comfortably takes the No. 1 spot for the Cardinals. Next is Budda Baker at $19 million and Jalen Thompson at $12.4 million.
They’re the only three players that have a cap hit of $10+ million for 2024 now that Humphries’ contract is off their books.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars ($34.1 million)
The Jaguars’ top earner for 2024 is former Cardinals wideout Christian Kirk, who has a cap hit of $24.2 million. Cam Robinson’s $21.9 million closely follows while five others are set to make north of $10 million.
Part of Arizona’s pristine cap space is the investment in youth for the Cardinals under second-year general manager Monti Ossenfort and his two recent draft classes.
The fortitude to move on from big (and expensive) names has also benefited Arizona during their rebuild.