It's official. Per NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the Arizona Cardinals have signed rookie first-round pick Walter Nolen to a contract. Nolen, the former Ole Miss interior defensive lineman, is one of the last first-round picks to sign his rookie contract.
Cardinals officially sign Walter Nolen
The Arizona Cardinals drafted Walter Nolen over a month ago in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Now, he's finally put pen to paper and signed his rookie contract.
While the finality of Nolen's contract has been a long time coming, there was no tension surrounding this deal. Unlike Cincinnati Bengals' first-rounder Shemar Stewart, Walter Nolen was not holding out for different terms. Nolen has been in attendance at both the Cardinals' rookie minicamp and the team's OTAs. The deal was only a matter of time.
While there was no stress surrounding Nolen's contract, it will be beneficial to him to be able to focus solely on football in the coming months. As the team enters mandatory minicamp, Nolen will have more than enough on his plate. Now that this contract is completed, he can spend his mental energy adjusting to the NFL.
After Nolen, only five first-round picks remain unsigned.
The Arizona Cardinals have now signed six of their seven picks from the 2025 draft. Only cornerback Will Johnson, whom the team selected in the second round, still needs to sign his contract. Johnson, like Walter Nolen, has been present at all team activities so far this offseason. It should just be a matter of time before Johnson signs his deal and the Cardinals complete their intake of the rookie class.
Walter Nolen could be a cornerstone piece of the Arizona Cardinals' defense for years to come. Now that his contract is signed, Nolen can focus on the bright future ahead of him.