Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Justin Pugh was going to enter the final year of a five-year, $45 million contract he signed in 2018. But with a $1 million roster bonus coming due and a 2022 salary of more than $8 million scheduled, he was a top candidate to be released to save nearly $10 million in cap space.
However, he will return in 2022. According to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, he is coming back in 2022 one a one-year deal worth $5.5 million and up to $1.5 million in incentives.
With $2 million of his original signing bonus still counting against this year’s salary cap, his new cap hit is reduced from about $12 million to $7.5 million, a savings of about $4.5 million.
And with the move, they keep the left guard position steady for the coming season. As both tackle spots and the center position were already seemingly set for 2022, only right guard appears to be in question for the following season.
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