Baron Browning

Career StatsD-

Year	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT
Career		66	162	13.5	2
2025		15	34	2.0	1
2024		13	21	2.0	0
2023		10

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The Cardinals took a measured gamble on Baron Browning's upside, landing somewhere between fair value and a slight overpay with this $7.5M AAV deal that earns a C CVI. While Browning profiles as a depth piece in terms of current production, Arizona is betting on the athletic tools that made him a third-round pick, and the guaranteed money ($10M of $15M total) reflects legitimate starter potential rather than pure backup pricing. At 25, he's entering his prime years with enough contract flexibility that the Cardinals aren't married to this investment if it doesn't pan out, but the AAV suggests they view him as more than just rotational help. The two-year structure gives both sides an out while allowing Browning to prove he can elevate his game in a new system. This feels like the type of solid, if unspectacular, linebacker investment that good defenses are built on — not a difference-maker, but a competent piece that won't sink the salary cap if he remains merely adequate.

Performance Analysis

Baron Browning earns a D- for the Cardinals at linebacker, a former third-round pick whose career has been derailed by injuries and inconsistency. Browning has the athletic ability to play multiple positions on the defense, but he has never been healthy enough to sustain a full workload. When on the field, his play has been hit-or-miss — explosive in flashes but unreliable over extended stretches. Arizona gave him a chance after his time in Denver did not work out, and the results have been more of the same. Browning is running out of opportunities to prove he can stay healthy and productive at the NFL level.