Arizona Cardinals re-sign pair of key special teams players
The Arizona Cardinals, days before the actual start of free agency, have taken care of a pair of their key special teams players. They announced on Friday that they re-signed long snapper Aaron Brewer to a one-year contract and safety/special teams ace Joey Blount to a two-year deal.
Brewer returns for his 10th season as the Cardinals' long snapper. He has played in every game in each of the last two seasons and made a pair of special teams tackles. Last season, between kickers Matt Prater and Chad Ryland, they made 34-of-38 field goals and 36-of-37 extra points.
With Brewer's return, the trio of specialists for the Cardinals appear set, as Ryland and punter Blake Gillikin are both under contract for the 2025 season. Prater is expected to leave in free agency after missing 13 games last season with a knee injury.
Blount gets a multi-year deal. He was a restricted free agent, but the Cardinals weren't likely to use a qualifying tender. He originally joined the Cardinals in 2023 and played 11 games. He appeared in 15 games last season logging a career-high 268 special teams snaps. His seven special teams snaps were tied for the second-most on the team last season. In 2023, he had the second-most special teams tackles on the team with nine and forced two fumbles.
Cards Wire will have details of the contracts in the coming days once they become official and are filed with the league.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: NFL free agency: Arizona Cardinals re-sign Aaron Brewer, Joey Blount
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals rookie CB Will Johnson has tight hamstring
Arizona Cardinals rookie CB Will Johnson has tight hamstring Johnson sat out some of minicamp with a tight hamstring, which he injured back in March before the draft. Arizona Cardinals rookie cornerback Will Johnson, their second-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, is one of the players who have not been getting a full workload. He practiced on Tuesday and the team's mandatory minicamp but was dressed and not practicing on Wednesday. Head coach Jonathan Gannon revealed that Johnson had a tight hamstring, so as they Cardinals like to say, they are "being smart" with him. Johnson's hamstring has come up before. In the predraft process, he suffered a hamstring injury while preparing for the draft and did not work out at his pro day in March. He did hold a private workout a couple of weeks before the draft, so this could simply be the result of a long stretch of football work. After the draft, he had rookie minicamp, jumped right into offseason workouts in Phase 2 with the veterans, which involves on-field football drills, then had two weeks of OTAs and now a week of minicamp. Is this cause for concern? Not necessarily, but it is something to watch. As good as Johnson was in his college career, injuries have been a part of it. In the last three years, he injured his knee, his shoulder and his foot. He hurt his hamstring this offseason. He fell in the draft to the second round because teams don't know about the long-term viability of his knee. The Cardinals' final minicamp practice was Thursday and they will be off until late July for training camp, although rookies will be around for a bit longer, said Gannon. Don't be concerned about missed reps right now. Worry more about training camp and the preseason. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
87 days till the Arizona Cardinals' 2025 season opener: Who has worn No. 87?
87 days till the Arizona Cardinals' 2025 season opener: Who has worn No. 87? With 87 days till the Cardinals open the season against the Saints, we look at the players who have worn No. 87. We are counting down to the start of the 2025 regular season for the Arizona Cardinals and are now less than 13 weeks away. They will open the season on the road against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 7. That is 87 days away. As we count down the remaining days of the offseason, let's look at who has worn that number uniform over the years for the Cardinals. Who has worn No. 87? Cardinals players to wear No. 87 No. 87 currently belongs to second-year tight end Tip Reiman, who is a fantastic blocker. No. 87 has been sort of a backup blocking tight end number for a few years. TE Tip Reiman (2024-?) TE Geoff Swaim (2023) TE Maxx Williams (2019-2022) TE Troy Niklas (2014-2017) TE Jeff King (2011-2012) WR Sean Morey (2007-2009) DL/OL/TE Fred Wakefield (2006) WR Reggie Swinton (2005) WR Reggie Newhouse (2004) TE Steve Bush (2001-2003) TE Jay Tant (2000) TE Johnny McWilliams (1996-1999) TE Oscar McBride (1995-1996) WR Ricky Proehl (1990-1994) WR Andy Schillinger (1988) WR Troy Johnson (1986-1987) WR Earnest Gray (1985) TE Eddie McGill (1982-1983) TE Douf Marsh (1980-1981) TE Al Chandler (1978-1979) TE Richard Osborne (1979) TE-WR Jim Thaxton (1978) P-TE Terry Joyce (1976-1977) LB-DE Jeff Staggs (1972-1973) DE Cal Snowden (1969-1970) LB Jerry Hillenbrand (1967) DE Chuck Bryant (1962) DE-LB Maury Schleicher (1959) DE Dick Brubaker (1955-1957) DE Charlie Anderson (1956) E Jim Ladd (1954) RB Ray Ramsey (1950-1953) RB Babe Dimancheff (1947-1950) Maxx Williams was a very solid player. Proehl was the best at No. 87. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Vince Marrow's jump to Louisville football shows Kentucky moving in wrong direction
Vince Marrow's move from Kentucky to Louisville football is the surest sign that both programs are moving in opposite directions. The Cardinals are modernizing their operation by tapping Marrow in the newly created general manager position, preparing to make a push for a College Football Playoff bid. Advertisement The Wildcats were regressing from a 4-8 season with not much reason to be optimistic about a quick turnaround. And that was before the news broke this week that they were losing their most-visible, most-liked staffer who was instrumental in recruiting some of their best talent including Lynn Bowden, Wan'Dale Robinson and Benny Snell. Marrow had been with head coach Mark Stoops for his entire tenure at UK. He'd previously turned down many opportunities to leave Lexington, reportedly including overtures made from Bill Belichick as he hired his new staff at North Carolina. And he chose to leave now. For the rival school. During the June period in which both official and unofficial visits from recruits are taking place and coaches do a lot of evaluating of high school prospects. The timing is perfect for Marrow's arrival at U of L, as the House v. NCAA settlement was finalized and scholarship offers to Class of 2026 recruits who may be on an official visit can also include a financial component from the school for the first time. Advertisement (Well, a legal offer, anyway.) This column will be updated. Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@ follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at to make sure you never miss one of his columns. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville, Kentucky football programs moving in opposite directions
