The Arizona Cardinals have signed defensive lineman Darius Philon to a two-year, $10 million contract, according to Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The deal features $5 million in guaranteed money and can reach up to $12 million with incentives.
Philon spent the 2018 campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers, playing in all 16 games and finishing with 33 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble.
The 25-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Arkansas, was originally selected by the Chargers in the sixth round (192nd pick overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He appeared in just eight contests during his rookie season, logging five tackles. Then, the following year, Philon participated in 14 games, totaling 11 tackles and a sack.
The Mobile, Al. native then saw his role grow significantly in 2017, as he played in all 16 games and registered 31 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in what was a breakout season of sorts for Philon.
While the Cardinals' biggest issues this past year were on the offensive side of the ball, they still need all the help they can get defensively, as they ranked just 20th in yards allowed and 26th in scoring defense in 2018.
Arizona won just three games this past season, good for the worst record in the NFL. As a result, the Cardinals will own the No. 1 overall pick in next month's NFL Draft.
The Cards fired head coach Steve Wilks after just one year at the helm following the disastrous 2018 campaign and replaced him with former Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury.
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