Contract Details for Cardinals RB James Conner Revealed

The Arizona Cardinals are keeping running back James Conner around for the next few years after recently striking a contract extension with the Pro Bowl rusher.

“It means a lot. More than myself, I love seeing my guys get rewarded for their hard work, dedication and perseverance. I can't say enough about ‘JC’ (Conner), I told you that many times before. One of the best teammates I've ever played with, one of the best guys I've ever played with. For him to get rewarded was a beautiful thing," said quarterback Kyler Murray.

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon also added, "Awesome. I'm very thankful to (Owner) Michael (Bidwill) and (General Manager) Monti (Ossenfort) to get that done. He's a huge piece of who we are and obviously I wanted him to stick around here, so (I’m) very happy about it.”

The deal was initially reported as a two-year extension worth $19 million, which keeps him under contract through the 2026 season.

Spotrac recently revealed the details of Conner's deal:

James Conner's Full Contract Revealed

The total contract extension for Conner is indeed a two-year, $19 million deal with an average salary of $9.5 million. As previously highlighted, this is good enough for sixth among current running back contracts in terms of annual average value.

$8.25 million of the deal is guaranteed with Conner gaining a $6.75 million signing bonus.

For the next three years, here's what his cap hits look like on the books:

2024: $11.1 million
2025: $6.5 million
2026: $10.25 million

There is a potential out for the Cardinals after the 2025 season that would see Arizona only accrue a $2.25 million dead cap hit if they decide to part ways with Conner.

His cap hits broken down by year:

2024

Age: 29
Base salary: $4.235 million
Signing proration: $4.25 million
Roster Bonus: $1.5 million
Game Bonus: $195,000
Option proration: $1 million
Workout bonus: $7,560
Overall cap hit: $11.1 million

2025

Age: 30
Base salary: $3.64 million
Signing proration: $2.25 million
Roster Bonus: N/A
Game Bonus: $510,000
Option proration: N/A
Workout bonus: $100,000
Overall cap hit: $6.5 million

2026

Age: 31
Base salary: $6.39 million
Signing proration: $2.25 million
Roster Bonus: $1 million
Game Bonus: $510,000
Option proration: N/A
Workout bonus: $100,000
Overall cap hit: $10.25 million

This certainly is a good deal for both sides - especially with the Cardinals having a potential out after the 2025 season when Conner will be going into his age 31 season.