The Arizona Cardinals are entering a new era under head coach Mike LaFleur this offseason. Arizona crumbled under pressure in 2025, only winning three games and finishing with one of the worst records in the NFL. Now LaFleur is tasked with leading a rebuild that will bring the Cardinals back to their glory days.
Arizona has plenty of work to do this offseason to make that happen. That should include some soul searching about what to do with QB Kyler Murray. Fortunately, they have enough resources to get the rebuild started quickly in free agency.
The Cardinals are set to enter the 2026 offseason with $39.18 million in cap space. That should be enough to add a few important players to help fill out the roster.
Unfortunately, Arizona may not have enough budget to re-sign all of their starters from 2025.
But which Cardinals players could have played their last snaps in the desert?
Below we will explore three Cardinals players who Arizona should let walk in free agency this spring.
Cardinals should start over at running back, let Michael Carter walk
Carter has never been able to match his glory days with the Jets while playing for the Cardinals.
The veteran running back burst onto the scene in New York during his rookie season. He logged 147 carries for 639 rushing yards with four touchdowns in 2021. Unfortunately, he's not come close to that level since.
Carter had an opportunity to take over Arizona's backfield in 2025. James Conner suffered a season-ending injury which finally gave Carter the chance to prove himself again.
He ended up with 92 carries for 333 rushing yards and one touchding. Carter also added 33 receptions for 267 receiving yards.
I'm not trying to drag Carter's talent by mentioning all this. Instead, I am just trying to paint the picture and make it clear that Arizona knows what they can get out of Carter.
Ultimately, letting Carter walk is more about restarting at the running back position than it is anything else. After all, it would be pretty easy to keep Carter in Arizona.
Spotrac estimates that Carter is only worth $3.1 million per season on a new contract. That would be a raise from what he earned in 2025, and a decent investment in a running back who will turn 27 years old before the 2026 season.
I expect Arizona to let Carter walk and to cut veteran James Conner. That would leave them with just Trey Benson at the position.
Is Jonah Williams worth a contract extension?
Jonah joined the Cardinals in 2024 after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Bengals.
Williams has an extensive injury history. He ended the 2025 season on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 10. That could make him an unattractive free agent, especially considering he will turn 29 years old during the 2026 season.
Spotrac estimates that Williams has a market value of roughly $10.3 million per season. If he landed a contract in that ballpark, he would be earning as much as Austin Jackson, Colton McKivitz, and Rob Havenstein.
One unknown in the situation is how will Arizona's new coaching staff evaluate Williams?
The possibility exists that LaFleur and his coaching staff want a younger player at right tackle. They may also simply not want to retain any of the veteran players from the previous regime.
Personally, I see the combination of Williams' age, injury history, and market value preventing the Cardinals from retaining him.
Calais Campbell does not make sense for a rebuilding team
Campbell is still a viable NFL defensive lineman at the ripe old age of 39. In fact, Campbell will turn 40 years old just before the kickoff of the 2026 season.
The veteran defensive lineman, who began his career in Arizona, signed a one-year contract to rejoin the Cardinals before the 2025 season. He played surprisingly well considering how poorly Arizona's season ended up being.
Campbell 43 total tackles with six-and-a-half sacks. He may not be an elite pass rusher anymore, but he can still get after the quarterback. Campbell has had five or more sacks per season nearly ever year of his career. But there are a few exceptions, including a couple seasons in Baltimore as well as his rookie year in Arizona.
My point is, Calais can obviously still play at a high level even after so many years.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure a player like Campbell makes sense for the Cardinals anymore.
The biggest barrier I see to Campbell returning to the Cardinals is simply the price. Spotrac estimates that he has a market value of $10.9 million per season after only pulling in $5.5 million on his previous contract.
I'm a little bit suspicious that Calais will actually demand that much money. If he does, I don't think he'll find a team willing to pay him.
Perhaps Campbell can return to Arizona if he gives them a hometown discount for one last season. But isn't that what he already did last season?
Even if he does not retire, I think Campbell's time in the desert is over.
