Cardinals Lose Starting Safety to Cowboys

The Arizona Cardinals' defensive backfield will look different in 2026.

Former Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson didn't last long on the free agent market, as he's reportedly signing with the Dallas Cowboys according to Ian Rapoport. The deal is reportedly a three-year, $36 million max contract.

The #Cowboys make another addition, this time agreeing to terms FA S Jalen Thompson, formerly of the #AZCardinals, per me and @SlaterNFL.

He gets a 3-year, $36M max deal done by Don Weatherell and Martin Fischman of @KlutchSports. pic.twitter.com/HgKuDZnFkb
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2026

Thompson, initially a supplemental draft pick, has essentially been a starter in all seven years spent in Arizona before hitting the market for the first time.

He and Budda Baker formed one of the NFL's more underrated safety tandems. Now, both sides start anew.

The Cardinals will likely see Dadrion Taylor-Demerson step into full-time duties next to Baker. Arizona's been high on Taylor-Demerson, who impressed as a rookie and got serious run in his second season with the organization.

This should also bump Kitan Crawford up the depth chart to a third-person rotational role, as the seventh-round rookie did have some nice cameos for the Cardinals in 2025.

Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis is returning for a fourth season in Arizona and is familiar with all of the aforementioned faces, though he'll surely be sad to see Thompson go. Rallis liked utilizing a dime defense look with all of Thompson, Baker and Taylor-Demerson on the field at once.

Thompson now joins a Cowboys defense hoping to turn a corner after losing Micah Parsons last season. He provides a stable and versatile presence in coverage after playing in at least 15 games in each of the last four years.

He'll be 28 by the start of next season.

In terms of coverage, Thompson was graded as Pro Football Focus' 28th best safety last season.

"We deploy him in different ways. We put a lot on his plate. I think between him and (S) Budda (Baker), they have a really good understanding of where each guy’s going to be on the pre-snap stuff. The pre-snap stuff (in terms) of making certain calls, making sure everyone’s on the same page, adjusting the formations and the coverages, and fitting in the run game," former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said of Thompson as a player.

"He does it all for us, and the takeaways are kind of a byproduct of being in the right position, playmaking, being where he’s supposed to be, playing with good technique and then making the play when it comes to him."

Arizona now moves into 2026 with their coveted safety duo broken up, though it was becoming quite clear the Cardinals wouldn't pony up on a contract for Thompson. Now, that's reality.