Andrew Wingard signs with Arizona as the Cardinals reshuffle their secondary after a key departure
andrew wingard is headed to Arizona on a one-year deal, stepping into a Cardinals defense that is adjusting its safety room following the departure of Jalen Thompson as the new league year begins.
What the Cardinals are adding in Andrew Wingard
The Cardinals are adding former Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard in free agency, with the move framed as part of the club’s response after Jalen Thompson left. The agreement has been described as a one-year deal, with one set of details listing a $3 million base value and a $4 million maximum value.
Andrew Wingard arrives after a season in which he started all 16 games he appeared in for Jacksonville, producing 84 tackles and a career-best nine pass breakups. He also finished the season with one fumble recovery and one interception.
How Arizona’s safety picture shifts after Jalen Thompson’s departure
Arizona’s secondary has an opening to manage following Thompson’s departure, and Andrew Wingard is expected to fit into a group that includes Budda Baker and Rabbit Taylor-Demerson. Another view of the depth chart projects Budda Baker and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson as starters, with Kitan Crawford also in the rotation.
The Cardinals’ internal expectation is that Andrew Wingard can contribute beyond a single defensive label, with his prior work on special teams highlighted as a meaningful part of his profile.
What his recent performance and role indicators suggest
Across his NFL career, Andrew Wingard has started 44 games in 104 appearances, and has been a starter in only two of his seven seasons—one of them last year. Evaluations referenced alongside the signing point to a mixed snapshot: a ranking listed him as the 77th best safety out of 98 qualified players, with a run defense grade cited as 12th at the position and a coverage grade cited as bottom 15 for all safeties in 2025.
In Arizona, the early expectation tied to the signing is that andrew wingard may function as a box-oriented option and rotational piece in the secondary, while also bringing special-teams value that has been part of his workload across his seven-year tenure in Jacksonville.
