2025 offseason roster profile: RB Emari Demercado
The Arizona Cardinals are in offseason mode and we are still weeks away from free agency and months from the NFL draft. Over the next little while, we will take a look at each player on the roster or signed to a reserve deal and break down where they stand with the team.
We will look at their 2024 season, their contract status and what their status is for the coming offseason and 2025 season.
Next up is running back Emari Demercado.
2024 Emari Demercado stats, season
Demercado, who made the roster as an undrafted rookie in 2023 and carved out a role as the team's third-down back, maintained that role in 2024. He really was unchallenged for that role.
He played in 13 games, rushing for 223 yards and a touchdown on only 24 carries, averaging 9.3 yards per attempt. His 53-yard touchdown run at the end of the first half in the Cardinals' 29-9 win over the Chicago Bears was electric.
He also had 16 receptions for 104 yards.
He finished the season on injured reserve after a back injury he played through for became too much for him.
2025 contract status
Demercado enters the final year of his three-year deal. He will make $1.03 million in salary and count $1.035 million against the cap. Next offseason, he will be a restricted free agent.
Outlook for 2025
Demercado will have to come back from his back injury and, assuming he fully recovers, will enter the offseason as the favorite to be their third-down back again. However, his spot on the roster is not secure. They could 100% sign or draft a player who could beat him out.
Competition will be added, but he will have a leg up. He is a player the coaches like a lot both in his role on third down and on special teams, in addition to his ability to do more on offense when given the opportunity.
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
6 minutes ago
- Fox News
Za'Darius Smith: 'Hopefully,' I'm back with the Detroit Lions
Defensive end Za'Darius Smith remains a free agent, but, in the end, he wants to be back with the team that he went to the playoffs with last season, that being the Detroit Lions — who cut him in March. "Hopefully, I can get back to Detroit because the coaching staff and everybody in the front office are great," Smith told USA TODAY Sports. "When I'm there, I feel like a leader and like I can influence the young guys and do great things. Hopefully, I can get back to where I want to be in Detroit." Smith split the 2024 season with the Cleveland Browns and Lions, who acquired him at the NFL trade deadline after suffering a myriad of defensive injuries, including to star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, a 2023 Pro Bowler. In all, Smith finished the 2024 regular season with a combined nine sacks and 35 combined tackles. Smith ranked 21st among edge defenders in pass-rush grade (76.5), 33rd in overall grade (74.7) and 85th in run-defense grade (62.8) according to Pro Football Focus. Now, should Smith return to Detroit, there are some changes on the coaching side, as the Lions lost defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn — who became the new head coach of the New York Jets — and promoted former linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to the position. They also have a new defensive line coach in Kacy Rodgers, among many other coaching changes. The 32-year-old Smith, who expressed that he's focused on "getting a ring now and winning a championship," thinks he and Hutchinson could be a special duo off the edge. "I'm still a veteran. He's [Hutchinson] still a young guy. I can help him with a lot of things. He's already great, but as a player, there are some tools that I know that I can help him with," Smith said. "And there are some things as a young guy that he can help me with." Smith, a three-time Pro Bowler, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens (2015-18), followed by a three-year stint with the Green Bay Packers (2019-21), one season with the Minnesota Vikings (2022) and a season-plus with the Browns before being acquired by the Lions during the 2024 season. Elsewhere, Detroit re-signed defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike, defensive end Marcus Davenport and linebacker Ezekiel Turner to one-year deals apiece, while adding defensive tackle Roy Lopez and selecting Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams with the No. 28 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Last season, the Lions went 15-2 and claimed the No. 1 seed in the NFC before losing to the Washington Commanders in the NFC divisional round. Detroit's defense surrendered 244.0 passing yards (30th in the NFL), 98.4 rushing yards (fifth), 342.4 total yards (20th) and 20.1 points (seventh) per game. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Joe Flacco talks about 'embarrassing' TikTok dances: 'Be an adult'
Joe Flacco is the elder statesman of the Cleveland Browns quarterback room. Having just turned 40 in January, Flacco has morphed into the "back in my day guy" and is now just one step away from telling the young whippersnappers to get off his lawn. Flacco has embraced that youthful energy in the twilight of his NFL career, taking the opportunity to pose for a fun photo at media day with rookie, Dillon Gabriel. Advertisement Regardless, he continued to provide plenty of entertainment for the media following Wednesday's minicamp practices, turning the session into a chat about social media, TikTok and posting dancing videos online. Flacco began discussing Twitter, now known as X, as it has evolved into a primary source of news. "The difference now is, everybody's getting their stuff from there, and it's treated a little bit more seriously because that is the main news source," Flacco said, via 92.3 The Fan's Daryl Ruiter. "You still have the same thing you always had, which is a million different opinions, but it kind of blends your actual news source with a bunch of other stuff." The quarterback went on to say that Instagram is the only social media platform he's used and made one thing clear –don't expect him to show up in a TikTok dancing video anytime soon. Advertisement "No TikTok dances," Flacco said. "The fact that people want to get on their phones and show people. That's embarrassing! You're an adult. Be an adult. I can't wrap my head around that." He followed up with some advice for the parents. "I get it, you have kids and you wanna have fun with your kids," Flacco added. "Like, have fun with your kids in private." Flacco appears to be no fan of the current social media landscape, but he also extended his media availability to discuss the good old days. While he wasn't walking up and down the rolling hills in 10 feet of snow to school, the quarterback did end up speaking about players who think offseason activities are too hard in the modern NFL. Advertisement "We're out there for an hour 15 minutes and guys think it's hard," Flacco said via Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein, referencing the two-a-days that used to be commonplace in the NFL. He went on to add that organized team activities (OTAs) used to be over two hours, highlighting just how much has changed since he entered the league in 2008. In other words, Flacco was in a reminiscing mood as the Super Bowl champion prepares for his 18th season in the league. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Browns' QB Joe Flacco calls TikTok dances 'embarrassing'
USA Today
15 minutes ago
- USA Today
Joe Flacco talks about 'embarrassing' TikTok dances: 'Be an adult'
Joe Flacco talks about 'embarrassing' TikTok dances: 'Be an adult' Show Caption Hide Caption Greg Olsen believes Travis Kelce 'controls how he leaves the game' Former NFL tight end Greg Olsen has high praise for Travis Kelce and shares when he believes Travis Kelce will eventually retire from the NFL. Sports Seriously Joe Flacco is the elder statesman of the Cleveland Browns quarterback room. Having just turned 40 in January, Flacco has morphed into the "back in my day guy" and is now just one step away from telling the young whippersnappers to get off his lawn. Flacco has embraced that youthful energy in the twilight of his NFL career, taking the opportunity to pose for a fun photo at media day with rookie, Dillon Gabriel. Regardless, he continued to provide plenty of entertainment for the media following Wednesday's minicamp practices, turning the session into a chat about social media, TikTok and posting dancing videos online. Flacco began discussing Twitter, now known as X, as it has evolved into a primary source of news. "The difference now is, everybody's getting their stuff from there, and it's treated a little bit more seriously because that is the main news source," Flacco said, via 92.3 The Fan's Daryl Ruiter. "You still have the same thing you always had, which is a million different opinions, but it kind of blends your actual news source with a bunch of other stuff." Joe Flacco has thoughts on social media, including TikTok dances. A pretty entertaining 2 minutes of video here #Browns — Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) June 11, 2025 The quarterback went on to say that Instagram is the only social media platform he's used and made one thing clear –don't expect him to show up in a TikTok dancing video anytime soon. "No TikTok dances," Flacco said. "The fact that people want to get on their phones and show people. That's embarrassing! You're an adult. Be an adult. I can't wrap my head around that." He followed up with some advice for the parents. "I get it, you have kids and you wanna have fun with your kids," Flacco added. "Like, have fun with your kids in private." Flacco appears to be no fan of the current social media landscape, but he also extended his media availability to discuss the good old days. While he wasn't walking up and down the rolling hills in 10 feet of snow to school, the quarterback did end up speaking about players who think offseason activities are too hard in the modern NFL. "We're out there for an hour 15 minutes and guys think it's hard," Flacco said via Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein, referencing the two-a-days that used to be commonplace in the NFL. Old Guy Joe Flacco laughs at players who think today's OTAs are hard: 'We're out there for an hour 15 minutes and guys think it's hard.' — Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) June 11, 2025 He went on to add that organized team activities (OTAs) used to be over two hours, highlighting just how much has changed since he entered the league in 2008. In other words, Flacco was in a reminiscing mood as the Super Bowl champion prepares for his 18th season in the league.
