The Biggest contracts in Arizona Cardinals history
By Kyler Burd
The Arizona Cardinals’ all-time leader in sacks isn’t on the team anymore
With this player’s number of franchise records, I don’t think there will be any surprise that Chandler Jones received the most significant contract the Arizona Cardinals have ever given a pass rusher.
The five-year, $82.5 million contract was inked in 2017 and was the deal that Jones played on until he left Arizona for free agency in the 2022 offseason.
Jones was drafted in 2012 by the New England Patriots and since then has been one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL, accumulating 107.5 sacks in his 10-year career.
In six seasons with Arizona, he set a franchise record of 71.5 sacks, surpassing former record-holder Freddie Joe Nunn, who had 66.5 in nine seasons with the team in the 1980s-90s.
The Chandler Jones contract was signed after his first season with the Cardinals, and since the signing, he was honored with three Pro Bowl berths and two First-Team All-Pro selections. Additionally, he was in the top three of voting for Defensive Player of the Year twice, including in 2019 when he was runner-up after a 19-sack season.
Was the deal worth it?
Absolutely.
It would be difficult to make an argument that a contract for a player that set franchise sack records and played the full length of his deal at a high level (minus some injury issues) was not worth it.
Sadly, Jones left the Valley for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, but his name will be in the annals of Cardinals history for a very long time.