Cardinals Lose Top Defender For Season

The Arizona Cardinals’ secondary suffered a crushing blow as the team prepares for minicamp.

Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting will be out for the season after suffering an undisclosed injury.

“Cardinals have placed CB Sean Murphy-Bunting on the reserve/non-football injury list,” B/R Gridiron wrote on X. “His [2025 season] is over.”

Cardinals have placed CB Sean Murphy-Bunting on the reserve/non-football injury list

His season 2025 is over pic.twitter.com/GkYAO3aaSy

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) May 22, 2025

The veteran started 15 games last season and was expected to anchor the defensive backfield again.

While the team hasn’t disclosed specific details about his injury, the timing couldn’t be worse for Arizona’s defensive plans.

Murphy-Bunting delivered solid production during his debut season with the Cardinals in 2024 as he recorded 52 combined tackles, two forced fumbles, three interceptions and five passes defended.

Those numbers painted a picture of reliable coverage, though opposing quarterbacks found success when targeting him, completing 70.7 percent of passes in his direction with an 84.1 passer rating.

His absence creates both a talent gap and a financial consideration for Arizona.

Murphy-Bunting was scheduled to earn almost $7.7 million in 2025 as part of a three-year, $22.5 million contract he signed last offseason. That money now becomes available for other roster moves.

The Cardinals had addressed their secondary through their recent draft strategy.

They selected cornerback Will Johnson in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, adding depth to a position group that already features promising young talent.

Max Melton, a second-round pick in 2024, and 2023 third-round choice Garrett Williams, are expected to compete for starting cornerback roles as the position battle becomes much more intense and worth monitoring closely.

Arizona entered this offseason focused on upgrading its front seven and made significant investments in proven veterans, but Murphy-Bunting’s injury shifts attention back to the secondary.

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