Cardinals Unlikely To Tender RFA K Chad Ryland

If Arizona doesn’t tender Ryland, he will become an unrestricted free agent. The cheapest RFA tender is the right-of-first-refusal tender, which is projected to cost $3.5 million, per Over The Cap.

Ryland, 26, started his career at Eastern Michigan before transferring to Maryland. He was drafted by the Patriots with the No. 112 pick in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

He was entering the second year of a four-year, $4.26 million rookie contract that included a $786,748 signing bonus when the Patriots waived him coming out of camp in 2024.

From there, Ryland signed with the Cardinals’ practice squad in October 2024, and eventually signed to the active roster on a two-year deal a few weeks later. 

In 2025, Ryland appeared in all 17 games for the Cardinals and made 25 of 33 field goal attempts (75.8 percent) and 36 of 36 extra points.