GOOD NEWS: On a one-year deal, defensive end is re-signed by the Arizona Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals have opted to retain defensive end L.J. Collier, securing his services for another one-year contract, as the team gears up for the upcoming free agency period, set to commence on Monday. Collier, who experienced a premature end to his inaugural season with the Cardinals due to a biceps injury sustained in a Week 1 defeat against the Commanders, spent the remainder of the year on injured reserve. Undeterred by this setback, the Cardinals are affording the 28-year-old another opportunity in the 2024 season, as confirmed by the team’s announcement on Friday.

Having transitioned from the Seattle Seahawks, where he was a first-round pick in 2019 from Texas Christian University (TCU), Collier secured a spot in the Cardinals’ starting lineup. His tenure in Seattle, marked by four seasons of varying performance levels, culminated in the Seahawks declining to exercise his fifth-year option, rendering Collier an unrestricted free agent.

The Cardinals’ decision to re-sign Collier is driven by the aspiration that the 6-foot-2, 291-pound lineman can contribute significantly to fortifying a defensive line that grappled with numerous injuries in the preceding 2023 season. The team faced additional blows, losing two more starters within a week of Collier’s injury – defensive end Carlos Watkins, who suffered a season-ending biceps tear, and nose tackle Leki Fotu, who grappled with a shoulder issue.

Complicating matters further, impending free agency looms for Watkins and Fotu, while defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter, an exclusive-rights free agent, is recuperating from a substantial knee injury. The Cardinals are now confronted with the decision of whether to extend contracts to any of these players akin to Collier or explore additional options as the free agency negotiating period kicks off on Monday.

Collier’s football journey thus far encompasses 46 games, including 17 starts, during which he has amassed 42 tackles, six for loss, three sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and five passes defensed. As he embarks on another season with the Cardinals, both the player and the team look ahead to a collaborative effort in shoring up their defensive capabilities.