Ryland agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Cardinals on Sunday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. Ryland was slated to become a restricted free agent but will remain with the Cardinals after he suffered a down year in 2025, when he converted 25 of 33 field-goal attempts and all 36 of his PAT tries over 17 games. The 26-year-old hit 28 of his 32 field-goal tries over 13 games in 2025. Arizona also signed Joshua Karty from the Rams' practice squad in December, and he'll likely compete with Ryland for the starting kicker job heading into the 2026 campaign, according to Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site.
Ryland made 25 of 33 field-goal attempts and all 36 of his PAT tries while playing in all 17 games during the 2025 regular season. Ryland converted a subpar 75.8 percent of his field-goal attempts, landing between the unsightly 64.0 percent mark of his 2023 rookie season and the excellent 87.5 percent conversion rate he produced in 2024. He'll be a restricted free agent this offseason, and while Arizona may be interested in retaining the big-legged kicker, Ryland's regression in 2025 could prompt the team to bring in competition.
Ryland did not attempt a field goal and made both of his PATs in Sunday's 37-14 loss to the Bengals. Ryland went without a field-goal try for the second time in three weeks and fourth time overall this season. The kicker earned the nod over Joshua Karty in Week 17 after Karty was signed to the practice squad earlier in the week. Ryland has gone 23-for-31 on field-goal tries, including 5-for-9 from 50-plus yards, while making all 34 of his PATs over 16 contests this year.