There isn’t a die-hard American football fan who isn’t familiar with the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are one of the top American football teams, having won multiple games and overcoming naysayers who compare them to any other squad.
They take part in the National Football Conference West division of the National Football League. It’s an understatement to say that the club excels at what they do, given that they are the oldest continually operating professional football franchise in the United States.
The squad has won two NFL championships to date. But the Arizona Cardinals have suffered their fair share of defeats. With 75 straight losing seasons, the team presently has the longest ongoing title drought in North American sports.
Are you a Fan of the Arizona Cardinals Players? This post will review everything you need to know about the Highest paid Arizona Cardinals Players.
Table of contents
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The Arizona Cardinals
The Phoenix metro region is home to the Arizona Cardinals, a professional American football club. The squad was founded in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club, an amateur football team in Chicago. On September 17, 1920, the team became a founding member of the NFL.
The Cardinals won both of its NFL titles when the franchise was in Chicago. The club experienced several losing seasons after winning the title in 1947, and with 75 straight seasons without a championship, it presently holds the record for the longest ongoing championship drought in North American sports.
The Cardinals become the first NFL team in the league’s history to lose 700 games in 2012. At the end of the 2021 season, the squad had an overall win-loss record of 584-787-41. They have advanced to the playoffs eleven times, winning seven of those games, three of which came during their run in the NFL playoffs in 2008–2009.
The 1947 NFL Championship Game, two postseason wins during the 2008-09 NFL playoffs, one during the 2009-10 playoffs, and one during the 2015-16 playoffs all make the Cardinals the only NFL club without a home playoff loss.
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Who Is The Best Arizona Cardinals Player?
In the NFL Top 100 player rankings released by the NFL Network for the 2021 NFL season, a couple of Arizona Cardinals players made notable gains. Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals who rank No. 90 last season, is currently ranked No. 39.
Murray turned up an outstanding Year 2 on his way to winning the first of many Pro Bowl selections after making his debut at No. 90 in his rookie season. He led Arizona to its best record (8-8) since 2017 by completing 67% of his throws for 3,971 yards and a 26-12 TD-INT ratio. If these records are any sign, it shouldn’t be long before Murray’s talent gets the team past a cloudy time in their history.
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Highest Paid Arizona Cardinals Players
Most of the Highest Paid Arizona Cardinals Players have over 6-figure running contracts with the team. With such figures, the players undoubtedly play a crucial role in the team’s success rate. Below are some of the Highest Paid Arizona Cardinals players.
#1. Kyler Murray
Not only is Kyler Murray one of the top players for the Arizona Cardinals, but he is also among the most paid. He plays quarterback for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals in American football. Murray played collegiate football in Oklahoma, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a junior after a brief spell with Texas A&M.
The Cardinals made Kyler Murray their first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He became the first athlete in the first round in both sports in 2018 as the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball selected him ninth overall.
After breaking multiple rookie quarterback records for the Cardinals’ club in his first season, Murray became NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. His following two seasons saw him selected to back-to-back Pro Bowls and take the Cardinals to the playoffs for the first time since 2015. He presently has a $230,500,000, 5-year deal with the league.
#2. Budda Baker
With a contract of $59,000,000, Budda Baker is one of the Highest Paid Arizona Cardinals players. He plays safety in American football for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals. While representing the Washington Huskies in college football, the Arizona Cardinals picked him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
NFL analyst Mike Mayock rated him the best Nickelback for the draft. In addition, Sports Illustrated and ESPN ranked him as the fourth-best safety in the draft, while NFLDraftScout.com listed him as the second-best free safety prospect.
#3. DeAndre Hopkins
DeAndre Hopkins is a wide receiver with the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals in American football. He got on the Houston Texas radar in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft after playing college football for Clemson. Hopkins has played in five Pro Bowls and been with five All-Pro teams.
DeAndre Hopkins made his Cardinals debut on September 13, 2020, against the San Francisco 49ers, compiling a career-high 14 catches for 151 yards in the 24-20 victory. He is one of the Highest Paid Arizona Cardinals Players. Hopkins has a 2 yr contract term of $54,500,000.
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#4. D.J. Humphries
D. J. Humphries has been an avid athlete since high school, taking part in basketball, football, and track. Currently, he plays offensive lineman for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals.
The 2011 Anthony Muñoz Award, given to the top lineman in high school football, went to Humphries. He extended his contract with the Cardinals for three additional years and $66.6 million on August 2, 2022, through the 2025 campaign. This contract made him one of Arizona Cardinal’s highest players.
#5. Justin Pugh
American football offensive lineman Justin Pugh plays for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals.
In college, he represented Syracuse University in football. In the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected him.
Pugh and the Arizona Cardinals agreed to a five-year $45 million contract on March 17, 2018. This contract made him one of Arizona Cardinal’s Highest Paid players. He made seven starts at right guard before sustaining a knee injury. Pugh started every game in 2019, including two at right tackle and 14 at left guard. He plays a vital part in the Team.
#6. Zach Ertz
American football tight end Zach Ertz plays for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals. The Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and he later helped the club defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. He was a unanimous All-American while playing college football at Stanford.
On October 15, 2021, Ertz moved to the Arizona Cardinals for cornerback Tay Gowan and a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Ertz agreed to a three-year $31.65 million agreement with the Cardinals on March 13, 2022. He is one of the Arizona Cardinals’ Highest Paid players.
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#7. Rodney Hudson
American football center Rodney Hudson plays for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals. He was a two-time All-American who played collegiate football for Florida State University. In the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected him.
On March 17, 2021, Robert Hudson on a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft moved to the Arizona Cardinals for a third-round pick in the same draft. He served as the Cardinals’ opening-day center in 2021. With a 3 yr contract of $30,000,000, Rodney Hudson is one of the Highest Paid Arizona Cardinals players.
#8. J.J. Watt
J. J. Watt is one of the best defensive linemen of all time. He plays defensive end in American football for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals. The Houston Texans chose him in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft after playing college football for the University of Wisconsin.
J. J. Watt won the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award three times in his first five seasons. Although he is typically a defensive end, sometimes he switches to defensive tackle. In the 2014 season, he caught three touchdown passes while playing offensive snaps.
Watt was the athlete of the Year in 2017 by Sports Illustrated. He signed a two-year 28 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals on March 1, 2021, with $23 million guaranteed. He is one of the Arizona Cardinal’s Highest Paid players.
#9. James Conner
American football run-back James Conner plays for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected James in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft after playing college football for Pittsburgh. He received AFCA’s first-team All-American recognition and the ACC Player of the Year title in 2014.
Conner agreed to a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals on April 13, 2021. He led the Cardinals to a victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9 with 173 total yards and three touchdowns.
With 752 yards running in the year, he was the Cardinals’ top rusher and had a career-high 15 rushing touchdowns to rank second in the league. Conner signed a three-year, $21,000,000 contract extension with the league on March 14, 2022, making him one of Arizona Cardinal’s Highest Paid players.
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#10. Isaiah Simmons
American football linebacker Isaiah Simmons plays for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals. After playing college football for Clemson, the Cardinals selected Isiah in the eighth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Simmons is well-known for his positional flexibility at Clemson where he also played cornerback, safety, defensive end, and linebacker.
Isaiah Simmons was the starting inside linebacker for the 2021 season. He made all 17 starts and was third on the team in tackles, sacks, forced fumbles, forced fumble recovery, and passes defended with 105.
The Cardinals have a $20,664,055 four-year deal with Isaiah Simmon. He is one of Arizona Cardinal’s Highest Paid players.
#11. Devon Kennard
American football linebacker Devon Kennard plays for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals. He is not just an athlete but also an investor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. In the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected him.
Kennard committed to the Detroit Lions in 2018. In 2018 and 2019, he served as team captain. In 2019, he was a candidate for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
Kennard’s teammates chose him to represent the NFL Players Association. He collaborates with the NFL and takes part in voting as an NFLPA representative. His three-year, $20,000,000 deal makes him one of Arizona Cardinal’s Highest Paid players.
#12. Zaven Collins
American football linebacker Zaven Collins plays for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at Tulsa, where in 2020 he earned multiple defensive players of the year honors and became a unanimous All-American.
The Cardinals selected Collins in the opening round of the 2021 NFL Draft. On June 8, 2021, he agreed to a $14 million, four-year rookie deal. Alongside Isaiah Simmons, Zaven Collins started the 2021 season as an inside linebacker. Through 17 games and six starts, he concluded the season with 25 tackles and three passes defended.
#13. Marquise Brown
Marquise Brown is a wide receiver with the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals. In the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens selected him out of Oklahoma’s collegiate football program.
In exchange for the 23rd overall pick in the first round, the Arizona Cardinals gained Brown and the third-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens on the first day of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The transaction brought Kyler Murray, Brown’s college quarterback, back together. On April 28, 2022, the Cardinals exercised Brown’s contract’s four-year, $11,787,34 option. Brown is one of Arizona Cardinal’s Highest Paid players.
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#14. Dennis Gardeck
American football linebacker Dennis Gardeck plays for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals. He took part in collegiate football at West Virginia State and Sioux Falls, where he was a Cliff Harris Award finalist and a Harlon Hill Trophy nominee.
2018 saw the Cardinals sign Dennis as an undrafted free agent. Gardeck and the Cardinals agreed to a three-year contract extension on March 14, 2022. The contract values over $10,000,000, making Dennis Gardeck one of the Highest Paid Arizona Cardinals players.
#15. Byron Murphy
The Arizona Cardinals selected Murphy in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft (33rd overall). In week 10s 30-27, loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Murphy made his first career interception. He recorded his first career sack in Week 7 of the 2020 campaign against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football as the team won 37-34 in overtime.
Murphy started at cornerback for the Cardinals as the 2021 season got underway. He recorded two interceptions in Week 3 of the 2021 season, including a 29-yard pick-six in a 31-19 victory over the Jaguars, which earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Besides leading the club with 12 passes defended and four interceptions, he concluded the season with 64 tackles. Byron Murphy is one of the Highest Paid Arizona Cardinals players with a 4-year deal for $7,989,498.
Conclusions
The Cardinals are the oldest professional football team in terms of continuous operation. Some of the top players in the game have played for the team at a point in their career. They make fresh transactions and movements regularly to guarantee the team’s success. This post has reviewed the careers of some of Arizona Cardinal’s highest paid players.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kyler Murray is #1 in the Arizona Cardinals.
Larry Fitzgerald is one of the biggest legends in the league’s history.
About 13 members of the Arizona Cardinals are in the NFL hall of Games.
No, the team is yet to win a Superbowl.
The team has just only two NF championships (1925 and 1947)
References
- en.wikipedia.org–Arizona Cardinals.
- azcentral.com – Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray, Budda Baker make huge leaps in NFL Top 100 ranking
- spotrac.com – Arizona Cardinals Contracts
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