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Report: James Conner back with Cardinals on reworked deal

By Thomson Reuters Mar 8, 2026 | 1:57 PM

The Arizona Cardinals and James Conner have agreed to a reworked contract to keep the running back with the team next season, NFL Network reported Sunday.

Conner was scheduled to have a $9.8 ​million cap hit this season. The terms of his new ‌contract were not reported.

Conner, who will turn 31 in May, missed all but three games last season after sustaining a season-ending ankle injury. Conner was coming off of back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons with Arizona in 2023-24.

A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Conner has ‌been with ​the Cardinals since 2021 and has played ⁠in 60 games in Arizona ⁠after four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Across 110 career games (84 starts), the third-round pick from the 2017 NFL Draft has 6,065 rushing yards and 60 touchdowns with 2,255 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns

The ​Cardinals also reworked the contract of cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. Murphy-Bunting was projected to ⁠have a $9.2 million cap hit next season.

Murphy-Bunting, ⁠28, has played in 82 career games (65 starts) for ​the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-22), Tennessee Titans (2023) and Cardinals (2024). He has 297 tackles, 34 ​pass breakups and 11 interceptions in his career.

In other moves, ‌Arizona is re-signing kicker Chad Ryland and punter Blake Gillikin to one-year contracts, NFL Network reported, with Gillikin’s deal worth up to $2.65 million, per his agency, LIFT Sports Management.

Gilllikin, 28, played in only five games last season, ⁠missing 12 because of a back injury. He punted 22 times for a 51.7 yard average, 45.4 net yards per punt and 36.4% inside the 20-yard ⁠line.

For his career, Gillikin ‌averages 48.5 yards for 271 punts in 65 games ⁠for the New Orleans Saints (2021-22) and Cardinals (2023-present).

Ryland, 26, made ​25 ‌of 33 field-goal attempts (75.8%) in 17 games last season, ​with a ⁠long of 57 yards. He was 6 of 10 from 50-plus yards. He also made all 36 extra-point attempts.

New England selected Ryland in the fourth round of the draft. He has played in 47 games for the Patriots (2023) and Cardinals (2024-present), making 69 of 90 field-goal attempts (76.7%) and 86 of 88 point-after ​kicks.

–Field Level Media