Cardinals Release $31 Million Defensive Lineman

The Arizona Cardinals have waived Justin Jones from injured reserve, according to the NFL transaction wire. The move comes without an injury settlement.

Jones spent the season on injured reserve with a knee injury suffered early in training camp. He did not play any games for Arizona in 2025 and played in just three matchups for the Cardinals in 2024 thanks to a torn tricep injury.

He first arrived in the 2024 offseason after inking a three-year, $31.1 million contract according to Spotrac, with $19.75 million guaranteed.

The Cardinals have just three games remaining in 2025. They're currently 3-11.

Jones was part of a rather disappointing 2024 free agent class, as general manager Monti Ossenfort's top five signings in terms of total contract value landed on injured reserve at some point this season.

1. Justin Jones ($31.1 million contract value)
2. Jonah Williams ($30 million)
3. Sean Murphy-Bunting ($25.5 million)
4. Bilal Nichols ($21 million)
5. Mack Wilson ($12.75 million)

Injuries have bit the Cardinals harder than most in the NFL, which has certainly played a factor into Arizona's disappointing season.

"I think whoever's out there, we have to put them in the spots that they can have success. And can that be challenging at times? Yeah, absolutely, but everyone goes through it and that's our job," said Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon when asked about injuries.

There might just be something in the water in Arizona, as Jones was fairly healthy before arriving to the Cardinals ahead of 2024. He played in at least 11 games in each of his prior six seasons before landing in the desert.

As for Jones' release, the cap implications aren't exactly clear as of now, though Jones was likely going to be cut in the 2026 offseason, as the move would have saved Arizona $8.8 million against the cap according to OverTheCap.

The Cardinals have a projected $31 million in cap space for the 2026 offseason, which currently ranks 16th with plenty of time to go.

While Arizona will surely make more moves, the offseason largely rests on the financial shoulders of quarterback Kyler Murray, whose roster spot and salary implications could largely dictate how the Cardinals navigate 2026 and beyond.

Regardless, Jones' tenure in Arizona was largely disappointing thanks to his string of injuries -- though that seems to be an unfortunate theme with many outside Cardinals additions in recent memory.

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