The Arizona Cardinals are among the teams with the most salary cap space in the NFL this year. They are also one of the leaders in dead money.
According to Over the Cap, they carry the seventh-most dead money against the cap in 2023 at more than $32.8 million. Thatr number will increase to nearly $37 million on June 2.
That comes mostly from their decision to release receiver DeAndre Hopkins last week.
Dead money carried on the cap is money that teams previously paid to a player that did not already get charged to the cap. It was prorated for the life of the contract. Sometimes it includes guaranteed money the team is obligated to pay a player no longer on its roster.
The Cardinals are not paying any dead money to a player. They only have previously paid money that had not yet counted against the cap.
It comes from the contracts from six players:
- DeAndre Hopkins: $21.1 million
- Jordan Phillips: $5.9 million
- J.J. Watt: $2.4 million
- Devon Kennard: $2.1 million
- Rodney Hudson: $1.76 million
- A.J. Green: $1.25 million
- Markus Golden: $1.08 million
- Jeff Gladney: $1.16 million
Hopkins was released last week before June 1, so the Cardinals take the dead money charge all this season. They still saved more than $8 million against the cap.
Watt’s and Hudson’s dead money do not count until June 2.
Both were released with post-June 1 designations, so to split the cap hit over 2023 and 2024.
Watt’s contract will count $4.8 million and Hudson’s $3.52 million in dead money against the 2024 salary cap.
Phillips’ charge this year is the second year of his dead money. He was released in March of 2022 with a post-June 1 designation.
Gladney’s charge is the second year. He was not released. After signing a two-year deal, he died tragically in an automobile accident at the end of May.
Kennard’s dead money and A.J. Green’s were the result of void years on the back end of their contracts. Kennard was released midseason last year but would have been a free agent anyway.
Green was a free agent and announced his retirement but had void years on the end of his original contract with the Cardinals.
Golden was released this offseason with a year remaining on his contract.
In all. it is $36.96 million in dead money the Cardinals will carry in 2023.
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