Every NFL front office has some misses that they'd like to forget about. Even Monti Ossenfort, the innovative general manager of the Arizona Cardinals, isn't perfect.
Ossenfort has done a relatively good job of finding value to add to his roster. He rarely hands out massive contracts, instead choosing to be patient and take advantage of low-cost opportunities. Still, the Cardinals have some contracts on their books that may not look too great after the upcoming season.
Earlier this week, we looked at the Cardinals' contracts that could look the best after 2025. Now, we dive into the contracts that could look the worst.
3 Cardinals contracts that could look like overpays after 2025
Justin jones
Justin Jones has been one of Monti Ossenfort's few mistakes in his time with the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals signed Jones to a three-year, $31.1 million contract last offseason. In his first season with the Cardinals, Jones missed most of the year with an injury. He appeared in only three games, and he failed to make a major impact in those appearances.
With the additions of other interior defensive linemen like Calais Campbell, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Walter Nolen, Justin Jones will likely lose his starting spot this season. If he fails to become a key player for the Cardinals, he could be a cut candidate next year.
Jalen Thompson
In a way, it's a good thing if safety Jalen Thompson's contract looks bad after this season. The Cardinals drafted Dadrion Taylor-Demerson last offseason, and the young safety already looks like he could replace Thompson as the starter opposite Budda Baker.
Jalen Thompson will carry a cap hit of $13.7 million into the 2025 season. That's a lot to pay for a potential backup safety. But if Taylor-Demerson takes over the starting role, the Cardinals can let Thompson walk in free agency next offseason without thinking twice about it.
Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray's contract has already been named an overpay by some analysts. If his contract still looks bad after this season, it'll mean that the Cardinals severely underperformed.
Murray is set to have a $43.3 million cap hit in 2025. Compared to other quarterback contracts, that's not all that bad. In 2026, his cap hit jumps up to $53.2 million. If he no longer looks like the Cardinals' franchise quarterback at that point, that contract could start to seem like one of the worst in the NFL.