The Arizona Cardinals decided to go in a different direction at cornerback, cutting ties with Sean Murphy-Bunting on August 30. The veteran corner is headed back to his old team, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that the eighth-year corner will sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ practice squad.
Murphy-Bunting, Tampa’s second round pick in 2019, was released last week by Arizona, which owes him $2M in guarantees.
Murphy-Bunting will reunite with his original team. The 29-year-old played a key role in their Super Bowl LV championship before coming to Arizona in 2024.
The Cardinals decided to go with younger players at the position. Their current 53-man roster has Will Johnson, Denzel Burke, Garrett Williams, Max Melton, and Kei’Trel Clark. All five corners have three seasons or fewer of experience in the NFL.
Recapping Sean Murphy-Bunting’s Tenure with the Cardinals
The Cardinals signed Murphy-Bunting to a three-year, $25.5 million contract ahead of the 2024 season. The plan was to add a veteran to help mentor a very young cornerback room and a reliable slot cover guy.
At the time, the Cardinals had just Garrett Williams and Kei’Trel Clark in their current cornerback room. Monti Ossenfort was in the middle of using a lot of draft capital at the position. In subsequent years, he drafted Max Melton, Elijah Jones, Will Johnson, and Denzel Burke.
Murphy-Bunting had a solid first year with the Cardinals. He logged 52 tackles, five pass deflections, and three interceptions. However, he’d miss the entire 2025 season with an ACL injury.
His absence resulted in Williams taking over the slot role last season. Murphy-Bunting returned on a restructured deal to compete for a roster spot. He eventually lost out to the younger corners and was released as part of the cutdowns to the 53-man roster.
The Cardinals brought back Starling Thomas V and Kalen King to their practice squad. Murphy-Bunting instead went back to his original team, with a chance to be an early-season elevation candidate on their practice squad.
Cardinals CB Room Entering Week 1
Following roster cutdowns, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur provided updates on the cornerback room.
Garrett Williams is recovering from an Achilles injury. He was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list on August 20. He’ll be a late-week decision ahead of their Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Arizona will rely on Williams, along with Will Johnson, Denzel Burke, and Max Melton at cornerback. Burke has gotten more reps in the slot, along with third safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, to add to the number of options. Williams has an extensive injury history that dates back to his final college season.
At full strength, the Cardinals would likely start Johnson and Burke on the outside, and Williams in the slot. Melton and Kei’Trel Clark offer depth on the outside.
Additionally, the team has the option to elevate Starling Thomas from the practice squad. Thomas started 15 games in 2024, so he doesn’t lack experience either.
Cardinals $25.5 Million Veteran Cornerback Returns to Buccaneers After Release