REPORT: Cardinals Lose Starter for 2025 Season

The Arizona Cardinals are placing their starting cornerback on reserve.

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting (23) celebrates an interception with safety Joey Blount (32) against the New England Patriots in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are placing starting cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting on the reserve non-football injured list, according to NFL insiders Aaron Wilson and Ian Rapoport.

Murphy-Bunting will miss the entire 2025 season as a result.

The Cardinals are also waiving defensive lineman Ben Stille, per Wilson.

The #AZCardinals have placed CB Sean Murphy-Bunting on the reserve/non-football injury list, ending his 2025 season before it began.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 22, 2025

What is Non-Football Injury List?

It's not known exactly what happened with Murphy-Bunting, but here's an explanation from ESPN on what exactly the NFI list is:

"Players who suffer injuries outside of football or have a long-term illness are placed on the non-football injury/illness list. Rookies who are still recovering from injuries suffered in college are often placed on the active/NFI list to start the season.

"Players who remain on the NFI list after the roster is set at 53 at the end of camp can be placed on the reserve/NFI list and will miss at least four games. They don't count against the 53-man active roster limit."

According to The Athletic, "Teams aren’t obligated to pay a player’s base salary if he sustains an injury/ailment outside the team’s watch, though the player will remain under contract. A team can opt to pay a player if it chooses, though."

That could save the Cardinals some money, as Murphy-Bunting was set to have a base salary of $7.6 million in 2025. Arizona currently has $32.1 million in cap space according to OverTheCap.

Entering the final year of his contract after 2025, Spotrac is reporting there's an out in Murphy-Bunting's deal that could see Arizona cut him for just $2 million in dead cap.

Murphy-Bunting initially signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract with Arizona as a free agent last offseason. He started 15 games in 2024 and tallied three interceptions.

The Cardinals drafted Will Johnson and Denzel Burke in the 2025 NFL Draft, which provided them with significant depth at the position.

Now, Arizona will look to rely on their rookies and names such as Starling Thomas, Garrett Williams and Max Melton to hold down the secondary as the Cardinals head into 2025.

Arizona hopes to make a postseason push with an improved roster - they'll have to do so without their veteran presence in the cornerback room.