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Arizona Cardinals DST

Player Outlook
The Cardinals defense was among the worst in the NFL in 2025, and we don't expect things to change much in 2026. We don't recommend drafting the Cardinals DST in the majority of leagues. Last season, Arizona was No. 29 in sacks (30), No. 6 in most yards allowed (6,081) and No. 3 in most points allowed (470). Safety Budda Baker is the star on defense, but this is a unit that needs to make dramatic improvements this season before Fantasy managers can trust them. Keep an eye on what develops this season, and the Cardinals DST can be a waiver-wire addition as the year goes on if the defense somehow surprises us compared to what happened in 2025.

Fantasy News

  • Cardinals' Karson Sharar: Dealing with hamstring issue

    Rotowire
    Sharar did not participate during OTAs due to a hamstring injury, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports. Coach Mike LaFleur said Wednesday that Sharar will be ready to go for training camp in July, so it doesn't seem to be a serious concern at this point. As the Cardinals' minicamp wraps up, rookie undrafted free agent Stephen Dix could see an uptick in practice reps during Sharar's absence.
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  • Cardinals' Walter Nolen: Expects to return for training camp

    Rotowire
    Coach Mike LaFleur said Wednesday that Nolen (knee) is trending towards being ready for training camp in July, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports. Nolen underwent surgery in December to repair a torn meniscus, so a return for training camp seems like a reasonable timeline. As long as he remains sidelined during practice, PJ Mustipher could see more work with the first-team defensive line.
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  • Cardinals' Kei'Trel Clark: Back for minicamp

    Rotowire
    Clark (back) was spotted participating in minicamp on Tuesday, Megan Mendoza of AZcentral.com reports. Clark finished Arizona's 2025 campaign on IR due to a back injury, but it now appears he's moved past the issue. He contributed on both defense (201 snaps) and special teams (168 snaps) last season, recording 25 total tackles, two passes defensed and one forced fumble across 14 appearances. Now fully healthy, Clark is expected to compete for a similar role as the offseason progresses.
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  • Cardinals' Kaleb Proctor: Tears meniscus

    Rotowire
    Head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters Wednesday that Proctor tore his meniscus during OTAs and will miss significant time, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports. Proctor, a 2026 fourth-round pick from Southeastern Louisiana, was expected to compete for Arizona's top reserve defensive-tackle spot prior to tearing his meniscus in OTAs. During his three final collegiate seasons, Proctor appeared in 36 contests and posted 24 tackles for loss, including 15.0 sacks.
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  • Cardinals' Garrett Williams: Returning for Week 1?

    Rotowire
    Head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters Wednesday that Williams (Achilles) could return for the Cardinals' regular-season opener, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports. Williams, who tore his Achilles in late December of 2025, is progressing better than expected and now has a chance to return for Arizona's Week 1 matchup against the Chargers on Sept. 13. The fourth-year pro from Syracuse was a crucial part of the Cardinals' secondary in 2025, recording 46 total tackles, five passes defensed, including one interception, and one forced fumble across just 10 contests.
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  • Cardinals' Josh Sweat: Back for mandatory minicamp

    Rotowire
    Sweat was present for the Cardinals' mandatory minicamp Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Sweat chose not to participate in Arizona's voluntary OTAs, but he's now returned for the mandatory part of the offseason program. The veteran edge rusher impressed during his first season with the Cardinals, appearing in all 17 games and posting 30 total tackles, including a career-high 12.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and two passes defensed. He's expected to remain one of the NFL's top pass rushers ahead of the 2026 season.
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  • Cardinals' Sean Murphy-Bunting: Practicing during OTAs

    Rotowire
    Murphy-Bunting (knee) has been participating during Cardinals OTAs and has been working as a nickel corner, Zach Gershman of the team's official site reports. Murphy-Bunting tore his ACL and also suffered some MCL damage last May and missed all of the 2025 season. Just over a year later, the veteran defender is back on the field during OTAs, and he's been taking on a different role in the nickel-corner spot. Murphy-Bunting has played mostly outside corner during his tenure in Arizona, but the team has a need in the slot with Garrett Williams expected to be out at the beginning of the campaign while recovering from a torn Achilles. Williams will presumably retake the role upon his return, but in the meantime, Murphy-Bunting should see plenty or work in the slot. He was ample experience there, having played the position frequently earlier in his career while with the Buccaneers.
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  • Cardinals' Isaiah Oliver: Gets signed by Cards

    Rotowire
    Arizona signed Oliver (knee) on Thursday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports. Oliver is now joining his fourth different team since he was selected by Atlanta in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Veteran Budda Baker, Andrew Wingard and 2024 fourth-rounder Dadrion Taylor-Demerson all project to make contributions at safety for Arizona in 2026, but the team was relatively thin at that position otherwise before adding Oliver.
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  • Cardinals' Walter Nolen: Will not practice to begin OTAs

    Rotowire
    Nolen (knee) did not participate in the Cardinals' OTA on Monday, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports. Nolen's absence for the start of OTAs comes after the 22-year-old suffered a non-contact knee injury in Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season. The second-year starter still faces an unclear timetable for his return, but time will tell if Nolen is ready for the start of the 2026 campaign.
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  • Ravens' Calais Campbell: Signs with Ravens

    Rotowire
    Campbell signed a one-year deal with the Ravens on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Campbell is heading back to the Ravens where he played from 2020 to 2022. The six-time Pro Bowler will be entering his 19th NFL season, and, at the age of 40, he doesn't seem to be slowing down. In 2025, he played all 17 games for the Cardinals and registered 43 tackles (23 solo) to go along 6.5 sacks. The Ravens needed to add more depth along the defensive front with the availability of Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and Broderick Washington (Achilles) uncertain for 2026. Campbell has a chance to start at defensive end alongside veteran John Jenkins, who signed a one-year deal in early January.
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  • Cardinals' Karson Sharar: Joins Cardinals

    Rotowire
    The Cardinals selected Sharar in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 183rd overall. Sharar finally won a starting job at weakside linebacker in his fifth year at Iowa, recording 83 tackles, 12.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks through 13 games. The 23-year-old has average size (6-foot-2, 231 pounds) but features impressive athleticism (4.56 40-yard dash, 40-inch vertical, 123-inch broad jump). Sharar probably won't be in the starting mix as a rookie because he still lacks experience, but he can contribute on special teams while developing his skills.
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  • Cardinals' PJ Mustipher: Re-signed by Arizona

    Rotowire
    Mustipher signed his one-year ERFA tender with the Cardinals on Tuesday. Mustipher is coming off a career year, having suited up for 15 regular-season games with Arizona in 2025. He totaled 32 tackles (11 solo) and one pass defensed in that span. Expect Mustipher to spend the offseason competing for a reserve role along the interior defensive line.
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  • Colts' Akeem Davis-Gaither: Signs with Indianapolis

    Rotowire
    The Colts signed Davis-Gaither on Wednesday, Amanda Foster of the team's official site reports. Davis-Gaither spent the 2025 campaign in Arizona, where he recorded a career-high 117 tackles (51 solo) and an interception across 17 games. The 28-year-old should have a chance to serve as one of the Colts' starting linebackers during the upcoming season.
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  • Chargers' Dalvin Tomlinson: Signs with Bolts

    Rotowire
    Tomlinson and the Chargers agreed to terms on a one-year, $7.5 million deal Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The 32-year-old defensive lineman from Alabama was dropped by the Cardinals on Mar. 6 but has since found a new home in Los Angeles. Tomlinson appeared in 17 games last season, recording 26 total tackles, including 1.0 sacks, and one pass defensed. Now with the Chargers, he's expected to operate as one of the team's top interior defensive linemen during the 2026 season.
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  • Falcons' Channing Tindall: Signing with Atlanta

    Rotowire
    The Falcons have agreed to a one-year deal with Tindall, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Tindall spent the second half of the 2025 season with Arizona after signing with them in December. In seven games with the team, the 25-year-old accrued eight tackles (four solo), acting as a rotational player on defense. Prior to his stint with the Cardinals, Tindall spent three seasons with Miami in a similar depth role.
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  • Cowboys' Jalen Thompson: Agrees to deal with Cowboys

    Rotowire
    Thompson agreed to terms on a three-year contract worth up to $36 million with Dallas on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Thompson suited up for 15 regular-season appearances with Arizona in 2025, recording 95 tackles (58 solo), including 1.0 sacks, plus six passes defensed and one forced fumble. He's totaled 90-plus tackles in back-to-back seasons and surpassed the 100-tackle mark in both 2021 and 2022. Now with the Cowboys, Thompson enters the offseason as a candidate to compete with Donovan Wilson for the starting strong safety job.
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  • Cardinals' Sean Murphy-Bunting: Sticking with Arizona

    Rotowire
    Murphy-Bunting (knee) agreed to a restructured contract with the Cardinals on Sunday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. Murphy-Bunting missed the entire 2025 season with an undisclosed knee issue after being placed on the reserve/non-football injury list last May. The 28-year-old tallied 52 tackles and five passes defended, including three interceptions, over 15 regular-season games during his first season with the Cardinals in 2024. Murphy-Bunting is entering the final year of his contract in 2026.
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  • Dalvin Tomlinson: Cut loose by Arizona

    Rotowire
    The Cardinals released Tomlinson on Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Tomlinson and the Cardinals agreed to a two-year, $29 million contract in March of 2025, but the 2017 second-rounder will end up playing just one season in Arizona. He finished the 2025 regular season with 26 tackles (13 solo), including 1.0 sacks, and one pass defense over 17 games. Tomlinson should attract interest from teams looking to add a veteran defensive lineman to the roster.
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  • Akeem Davis-Gaither: Let go by Arizona

    Rotowire
    Davis-Gaither was released by the Cardinals on Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. The linebacker was let go even after finishing with a career-high 117 tackles (51 solo) in 2025, with Arizona freeing up cap space prior to free agency. Per the Arizona Republic, parting ways with the 2020 fourth-rounder, who joined the Cardinals last March, will save the team approximately $5.2 million, while accounting for $1.5 million in dead cap money.
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  • Bilal Nichols: Released by Arizona

    Rotowire
    Nichols (knee) was released by the Cardinals on Thursday after failing a physical, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. The defensive tackle ended the regular season on injured reserve with a knee injury and appears to still be dealing with the issue. A neck injury and the knee issue have limited Nichols to just 10 games over the last two years.
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