The Arizona Cardinals move into the offseason with roughly $42 million in projected cap space and a plethora of different avenues the team could take.
In continuing our preview of Cardinals free agents who will stay or go (click here for Jonah Williams), we move towards starting veteran safety Jalen Thompson.
Thompson just completed his seventh season in the league — all with Arizona after being a supplemental draft pick back in 2019.
Thompson climbed his way to a secured starting role next to Budda Baker, helping to form a strong duo for Arizona’s backend since 2021.
Now, the Cardinals find themselves at a crossroads with a talented player who might be seeking more than what Arizona wants to offer in terms of salary.
Cardinals Have Jalen Thompson Dilemma 
Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson (34) against the Jacksonville Jaguars at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Thompson finds himself in the underrated category of NFL players. He’s not quite a star or perennial Pro Bowl player, though he’s better than the national landscape gives him credit for. Thompson’s tallied 95+ tackles and 6+ passes defensed in his last four-of-five seasons playing as a safety next to Baker.
Arizona awarded him a three-year, $36 million contract which he’s now completed. Spotrac has his annual market value estimated at $9.5 million — but would the Cardinals want to offer that to Thompson?
The question here isn’t if Thompson is worth said salary. He’ll turn 28 years old this summer and has played in 15 regular season games in all but one year, which came back in 2020.
22 safeties make more than $10 million annually, yet only four (Baker, Justin Reid, Jimmie Ward and Kyle Dugger) signed such an extension older than 27-years-old.
ESPN insider Dan Graziano previously projected the Cardinals to lose Thompson:
“Thompson, if healthy, is likely to be one of the more sought-after free agents at the position, which is why most of the people I talk to about this situation seem to think he gets more from another team.”
The Cardinals very likely won’t enter a bidding war for Thompson thanks to the presence and emergence of second-year safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, who strongly appears ready to step into full-time duties after playing significant snaps as Arizona’s rotational safety his first two years.
What could potentially help Thompson get back to the desert is recent news of the Cardinals retaining defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, who loves to utilize a three-safety dime look and could make a strong case to bring Thompson back after working with him the last three seasons.
With other holes to plug in free agency, allocating more than minimal money to Thompson likely isn’t the right business move. This feels like a mutual and understanding decision where Thompson would be able to maximize his value on the open market while Arizona would be more than happy to plug Taylor-Demerson into a full-time starting role.
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