Taking a look at the top 10 Arizona Cardinals under contract in 2026, NFL salary cap projections and the team’s highest-paid players.
It was a season to forget for the Arizona Cardinals. Whether it be injuries or poor play, it is officially the end of an era. The team named Mike LaFleur as the new head coach (which I’m sure won’t fail), Kyler Murray is expected to be traded, and the direction of the team is truly up in the air.
Below, we will take a look at the 10 best players that the Arizona Cardinals still have under contract for next season. We will also look at NFL salary cap projections and the top cap hits on the team in 2026.
All Arizona Cardinals salary cap data below is accurate as of February 18th, 2026.
10 Best Arizona Cardinals Under Contract in 2026
These are the 10 best players the Arizona Cardinals still have under contract for the 2026 season, in the order of their current salary cap hit. For those who know ball, you will recognize that these are the team’s 10 best players and not just the players that journalism nerds think they need to talk about.
- Budda Baker, S ($19.2M)
- Josh Sweat, EDGE ($16.4M)
- James Conner. RB ($9.8M)
- Marvin Harrison JR., WR ($9.6M)
- Jacoby Brissett, QB ($9.2M)
- Paris Johnson Jr., OT ($8.9M)
- Trey McBride, TE ($8.7M)
- Hjalte Froholdt, C ($7M)
- Walter Nolen, DL ($4.4M)
- Michael Wilson, WR ($4.2M)
Highest Arizona Cardinals Cap Hits in 2026
As things stand today, here is a list of the 10 highest player hits against the Arizona Cardinals’ salary cap in 2026. Obviously, contracts can be manipulated, and a player could be cut or traded as well. In the case of a release, we have listed a player’s dead cap. This is how much money they would count against the cap if they are cut from the team.
- QB Kyler Murray, $52.7M ($54.7 dead cap)
- S Budda Baker, $19.2M ($13.9M)
- EDGE Josh Sweat, $16.4M ($31.8)
- DL Dalvin Tomlinson, $16.2M ($6.8M)
- RB James Conner, $9.8M ($2.3M)
- WR Marvin Harrison Jr., $9.6M ($20.9M)
- LB Baron Browning, $9.4M ($4.8M)
- CB Sean Bunting, $9.2M ($2M)
- QB Jacoby Brissett, $9.2M ($1.8M)
- OT Paris Johnson, $8.9M ($8.9M)
NFL Salary Cap Projections 2026
The league has informed teams that the 2026 NFL salary cap will be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team. Below, we will assume a salary cap of $303.45 million, using data from Spotrac.
| Rk | TM | Current Players | Cap Space | Dead Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEN | 53 | $99,041,638 | $535,657 |
| 2 | LV | 49 | $87,821,212 | $35,238,302 |
| 3 | LAC | 52 | $82,100,325 | $478,183 |
| 4 | NYJ | 51 | $78,990,889 | $88,996,619 |
| 5 | WAS | 52 | $66,506,531 | $12,592,731 |
| 6 | SEA | 57 | $63,421,971 | $483,724 |
| 7 | CIN | 60 | $52,745,496 | $11,248,222 |
| 8 | PIT | 60 | $44,768,173 | $7,934,338 |
| 9 | LAR | 54 | $40,994,285 | $6,469,150 |
| 10 | NE | 64 | $35,200,699 | $20,364,345 |
| 11 | IND | 60 | $34,952,488 | $2,093,644 |
| 12 | ARI | 61 | $34,823,790 | $3,934,104 |
| 13 | ATL | 51 | $26,181,296 | $2,235,354 |
| 14 | DEN | 54 | $26,033,090 | $1,218,922 |
| 15 | BAL | 48 | $22,673,001 | $12,262,715 |
| 16 | SF | 58 | $22,523,414 | $36,327,740 |
| 17 | TB | 52 | $14,479,885 | $253,922 |
| 18 | CAR | 56 | $11,687,593 | $9,341,094 |
| 19 | PHI | 65 | $9,814,036 | $40,359,938 |
| 20 | NYG | 58 | $7,030,099 | $216,988 |
| 21 | MIA | 52 | -$3,699,267 | $73,949,385 |
| 22 | GB | 66 | -$4,344,831 | $17,171,715 |
| 23 | HOU | 57 | -$5,387,142 | $20,922,780 |
| 24 | DET | 49 | -$9,151,960 | $9,287,290 |
| 25 | JAX | 62 | -$9,166,552 | $42,000,184 |
| 26 | BUF | 63 | -$10,522,073 | $432,166 |
| 27 | CHI | 54 | -$10,688,349 | $542,995 |
| 28 | KC | 54 | -$14,403,869 | $215,642 |
| 29 | CLE | 55 | -$19,541,898 | $39,763,849 |
| 30 | DAL | 54 | -$31,529,252 | $24,344,178 |
| 31 | MIN | 54 | -$40,632,414 | $5,608,074 |
| 32 | NO | 66 | -$41,774,364 | $90,590,412 |
