Cardinals Add Massive DT Andrew Billings to Rebuild Defense

GLENDALE, AZ — The Arizona Cardinals continued their defensive overhaul Tuesday by signing veteran defensive tackle Andrew Billings to a one-year contract. The 6-foot-1, 340-pound former Chicago Bear arrives in the desert just weeks after the team moved on from quarterback Kyler Murray, signaling a total roster reset under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur.

General Manager Monti Ossenfort isn’t wasting time. By adding Billings, the Cardinals are betting on raw size to clog the middle of a unit that looked like a sieve last year. The defense was historically soft in 2025, ranking 27th in the NFL after surrendering 357.7 yards per game. Arizona fans haven’t forgotten the sight of opposing running backs galloping through the A-gap while the sun set on a 3-14 season at State Farm Stadium. Billings is here to stop that bleeding.

Can Billings Bounce Back in the Desert?

The numbers from last season are ugly. Billings finished 2025 with a 38.7 grade from Pro Football Focus, placing him 131st out of 134 qualified interior defenders. He started 14 games for Chicago, tallying 31 tackles and a lone sack, but he often struggled to maintain leverage. Despite those metrics, Arizona sees a veteran with 90 career starts and the mass to occupy double teams, freeing up young stars like Walter Nolen and Darius Robinson to hunt quarterbacks.

The Cardinals’ defensive line room is getting crowded—and heavy. Billings joins fellow free-agent additions Roy Lopez and Jonah Williams. This trio represents a clear philosophy shift. LaFleur and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis want a rotation that can out-muscle tired offensive lines in the fourth quarter. It’s a blue-collar approach for a team that spent years relying on Kyler Murray’s magic to mask deep roster flaws.

“We need guys who aren’t afraid to do the dirty work in the trenches. Andrew has been in this league a long time; he knows what it takes to stop a run game when everyone in the stadium knows it’s coming.”
— Mike LaFleur, Cardinals Head Coach

Playoff Implications / What’s Next

This move won’t make the Cardinals Super Bowl favorites overnight, but it solidifies a foundation. Arizona holds the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. By addressing the interior of the line now, Ossenfort has the flexibility to target a franchise cornerstone—likely an edge rusher or a new signal-caller—without being forced to reach for a tackle.

With Rallis retained to maintain continuity on defense, the pressure is on the coaching staff to squeeze more production out of this veteran group. If Billings can find the form that made him a force in Cincinnati and early in his Chicago tenure, Arizona might finally stop being the NFL’s favorite Get-Right Game. If not, it will be another long, hot autumn in Glendale.