Cardinals Set to Skyrocket Into NFL’s Top 5 in Dead Cap Space

The Arizona Cardinals walked into free agency with some considerable cap space, and when June 2 hits, they'll be one of the league's top spenders... on players not on the roster.

Arizona will leapfrog into the NFL's top five of dead cap space spent for 2026 following the official processed release of quarterback Kyler Murray, which will see the Cardinals shell out $46.5 million to Murray alone this year.

Full NFL Dead Cap Space Rankings

Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) leaves the field after defeating the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

As of June 2, these will be the league's top five spenders in dead cap space — which is just prorated bonus/guaranteed money owed to players who aren't on the team anymore:

(numbers via OverTheCap):

1. Miami Dolphins: $179 million
2. New Orleans Saints: $113 million
3. New York Jets: $111 million
4. Cleveland Browns: $91 million
5. Arizona Cardinals: $73 million

The Cardinals could have opted to ingest Murray's entire dead cap hit with a regular Pre-June 1 cut, which would have seen Arizona eat just over $54 million. The benefit of doing so would have been clearing Murray's money off the books completely after this season, as Arizona's Post-June 2 cut will also see the Cardinals carry $7 million more in dead cap space in 2027.

The Cardinals will gain an extra $5 million in cap space, though that money won't officially become available until June 2. Had Murray been a pre-June 1 cut, Arizona would have lost $2 million.

Murray was able to sign for a minimal contract this offseason as part of offsetting language in his contract/eventual release. The Minnesota Vikings inked him to a cheap one-year deal with the Cardinals footing majority of the bill.

Arizona also has the following players on their books:

Jonah Williams ($7,000,000)
Dalvin Tomlinson ($6,800,000)
Jalen Thompson ($4,017,750)
Justin Jones ($3,250,000)
Bilal Nichols ($2,000,000)
Akeem Davis-Gaither ($1,500,000)
Evan Brown ($1,500,000)
DeeJay Dallas ($333,334)
Xavier Thomas ($186,446)

As of now, projections have the Cardinals at $174 million in cap space for the 2027 season. Arizona is looking at extensions for Garrett Williams, Paris Johnson Jr. and Michael Wilson this offseason — so that number is sure to drop in some form or fashion.

Currently, the Cardinals rank fourth in NFL cap space for this offseason while being one of four teams to have 76 or more players signed. 90 is the maximum allowed on the roster for training camp/preseason purposes.