2025 Arizona Cardinals training camp roster preview: S Jalen Thompson
The Arizona Cardinals report to training camp on July 22 and begin the process of preparing for the regular season, forming the roster and determining starting jobs and roles on the team.
Leading up to the start of camp, we will take a look at every player on the offseason roster, their background, their contract, their play in 2024, questions they face and their roster outlook.
Next up is safety Jalen Thompson.
Jalen Thompson background, 2024 season
Consistently playing in the shadow of safety-mate Budda Baker, Thompson is nonetheless a key component in one of the best tandems in the NFL. Selected in the supplemental draft in 2019 with a fifth-round choice, Thompson has been a consistent producer during his six seasons with the Cardinals. He has started 59 of a possible 68 games over the last four seasons and played a percentage of 91-plus defensive snaps in those years: 91, 99, 95, 98.
Last season, Thompson played 15 games and was third on the team with 98 tackles (61 solo with three for loss). He also had two fumble recoveries, three passes defensed and two quarterback hits.
Jalen Thompson 2025 contract details, cap hit
Thompson's base salary is $7.56 million and his salary-cap charge is $13.7 million. He was paid a $2 million roster bonus in March.
2025 questions, roster outlook
There has been speculation throughout the offseason that Thompson might be a roster casualty this year because of his cap figure. However, because his contract includes a void year in 2026, a release at this point would result in $6 million of dead money against the cap this year and another $4 million in 2026.
The Cardinals are grooming Dadrion Taylor-Demerson for a larger role, but depth would be severely tested if they would move on from the reliable Thompson prior to the season. His salary is excellent value for the leadership and production he provides.
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.
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