When wide receiver Zay Jones was signed by the Arizona Cardinals on May 13, initial reports claimed the contract was worth “up to” $4.25 million with the “up to” supposedly including $2 million of potential incentives.
That turned out not to be accurate. Cards Wire has learned there are no incentives in the contract as submitted to the NFLPA, although as managing editor Jess Root reported recently, there are $20,000 per-game active roster bonuses available for a maximum total of $340,000.
That story had the specifics of the one-year, $2.25 million contract that includes $1.15 million guaranteed: $650,000 of the $1.41 million base salary and a $500,000 signing bonus.
However, the total cap charge is $2.09 million instead of $2.25 million since Jones played nine games in 2023, so only $180,000 of the per-game bonuses are charged against the cap. Assuming he makes the team, every $20,000 bonus paid after the eighth game would count against the 2025 cap for a maximum $160,000.
Jones’ one-year deal is very similar to the one signed by wide receiver Chris Moore on March 18. Moore is 6-foot-1, 200 and was a fourth-round pick by the Ravens in 2016. He turns 31 on June 16.
Jones is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and was a second-round pick by the Bills in 2017. He turned 29 on March 30 and has been more productive during the seven seasons he’s played with the Bills, Raiders and Jaguars. Jones has played 104 games with 67 starts, catching 287 passes for $3,028 yards (10.6 average) and 18 touchdowns.
Moore has played 106 games with 18 starts in eight seasons with the Ravens, Texans and Titans. He has 138 receptions for 1,710 yards (12.4 average) and eight touchdowns.
Moore’s contract is worth $2 million with $750,000 guaranteed: $250,000 of his $1.28 million base salary and a $500,000 signing bonus. His per-game $10,000 roster bonuses provide a maximum payout of $170,000 that all is charged against the cap because he played all 17 games last season. Moore also has a $50,000 offseason workout bonus.
His cap charge is the $2 million total value of the deal.
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