Report: Cardinals Re-Sign Pass Rusher

The Arizona Cardinals are bringing back an outside linebacker.

Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker Baron Browning (53) against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals are re-signing outside linebacker Baron Browning, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.

Rapoport says the deal is two years with a base of $15 million and up to $19 million.

Sources: The #AZCardinals are bringing back pass-rusher Baron Browning, as they are in agreement on 2-year deal. After trading for him, Browning sticks.

He gets $15M base over 2 years with upside to $19M in a deal done by @ErikBurkhardt and @Leah_Knight of @RocNationSports. pic.twitter.com/HfD9TnglqK

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2025

The Cardinals previously re-signed Joey Blount and Aaron Brewer yesterday.

Arizona had an estimated $74 million in effective cap space moving into the free agent period, which unofficially begins on March 10.

The Cardinals acquired Browning at the trade deadline in 2024 after not landing names such as Haason Reddick and Azeez Ojulari. He was traded from the Denver Broncos for a sixth-round pick.

Browning tallied two sacks in eight games for Arizona after landing in the desert midseason. Though he didn't tally insane numbers, Browning did show strong signs of piecing things together towards the end of the year, and there was hope he'd be brought back.

Despite interest from other clubs, Browning stays with the Cardinals.

Browning's presence doesn't change the need for a premier edge rusher in Arizona, which can still arrive via free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft, where the Cardinals have the 16th overall selection.

Browning would be projected to rotate with Zaven Collins and BJ Ojulari in the current crop of outside linebackers. Names such as Dennis Gardeck, Jesse Luketa and Victor Dimukeje are still set to hit free agency.

Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort when asked about continuity and the importance of re-signing players:

"I think all of that is important. I think the most important [thing] is doing it with the guys that you're talking about there," he said at the Combine.

"It's one thing that we don't have to worry about here as we come here this week... that those guys aren't going to market, and we know we can count on them being in our lineup here for the foreseeable future."

Browning stays in the desert on a pretty good deal for the player.