The Arizona Cardinals haven’t made too many moves this offseason, as they have been focused on kickstarting their rebuild by clearing out their salary cap. Of course, the team still needs players to suit up and take the field for them, and with training camp underway, the front office is still looking for guys who can come in and contribute in 2026.
An area of need that has already popped up for the Cardinals is their defensive line, as Josh Sweat is beginning camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, while rookie Kaleb Proctor‘s season is already over after he was placed on injured reserve earlier this month. After bringing several defensive linemen to town for tryouts last week, Arizona has reportedly signed one of those players on Monday.
Cardinals Sign Coziah Izzard After Recent Tryout
Izzard signed with Kansas City as a UDFA last offseason, but now lands in Arizona. The 25-year-old had an impressive Pro Day last year, posting a 4.81 40-yard dash at 305 pounds.
At the very least, the Cardinals need someone to come in and get some reps for them on their defensive line during training camp. Among the guys they brought to town last week was defensive tackle Coziah Izzard, a former Penn State Nittany Lions standout who went undrafted in 2025.
Izzard spent last summer with the Kansas City Chiefs, and after briefly spending time on their practice squad, he ended up getting released. The New Orleans Saints quickly added him to their practice squad, which is where he ended up spending the remainder of the season. While he signed a reserve/futures contract with the Saints earlier this offseason, they opted to move on from him back in June.
While he has yet to make his NFL debut, Izzard has upside that could be tapped into, and the Cardinals have reps that need to be put to use. With that in mind, the pairing between these two sides made sense, as Arizona reportedly signed Izzard to a one-year contract shortly after the start of training camp.
“Sources: The Cardinals have signed former Penn State DL Coziah Izzard to a one-year deal,” NFL insider Arye Pulli reported in a post on X. “Izzard signed with Kansas City as a UDFA last offseason, but now lands in Arizona. The 25-year-old had an impressive Pro Day last year, posting a 4.81 40-yard dash at 305 pounds.”
Cardinals Take Flier on Coziah Izzard Amid Defensive Line Woes
GettyThe Cardinals have signed defensive tackle Coziah Izzard in free agency
The last time we saw Izzard on the field was back in 2024 with Penn State, when he racked up 31 tackles and two sacks in 15 games of action. Izzard can fill the gaps at the center of the line of scrimmage, and he’s also shown an ability to get the quarterback when rushing the passer. There’s enough upside here that Arizona felt it was worthwhile to bring him to town.
Considering how he’s joining the team after the start of training camp, there’s no sense ignoring the fact that Izzard faces an uphill battle when it comes to cracking the team’s Week 1 roster. If he can flash his potential, though, he could stick around as a practice squad player, and with the Cardinals already being short on defensive line depth, that could conceivably open the door for him to make his NFL debut at some point in 2026.
Cardinals Reportedly Sign Former Chiefs, Saints Defensive Lineman in Free Agency