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

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The Arizona Cardinals will be one of the NFL's top spenders on dead cap space in 2026, with $73 million owed to players no longer on the team, including $46.5 million to former quarterback Kyler Murray. This is due to the Cardinals' decision to release Murray using a post-June 1 designation, which will spread out the dead cap hit over two seasons.

Why it matters

The Cardinals' high dead cap spending highlights the challenges teams face when parting ways with expensive players, as they are still on the hook for a significant portion of the player's contract even after the release. This can limit a team's ability to be aggressive in free agency and build a competitive roster.

The details

The Cardinals will have the 5th highest dead cap space in the NFL in 2026 at $73 million, behind the Dolphins ($179 million), Saints ($113 million), Jets ($111 million), and Browns ($91 million). The bulk of the Cardinals' dead cap is from Kyler Murray's $46.5 million hit, with other players like Jonah Williams ($7 million) and Dalvin Tomlinson ($6.8 million) also contributing to the total.

• On June 2, the Cardinals' dead cap space will officially be processed, putting them in the top 5 in the NFL.
• The Cardinals could have opted for a pre-June 1 release of Kyler Murray, which would have resulted in a $54 million dead cap hit this year but cleared it off the books completely in 2027. Instead, the post-June 1 designation will spread the hit over two seasons.

What’s next

The Cardinals will need to manage their high dead cap space effectively in order to build a competitive roster around the remaining players. They will also need to carefully consider the long-term implications of future player releases and contract restructures.