Arizona Cardinals sign LB Jack Gibbens

Jack Gibbens' two-year, $7.5M signing with Arizona earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a fair-market-rate deal for a depth linebacker in a league where positional scarcity at the position doesn't command premium dollars. At $3.75M average annual value, this is solidly middling compensation—neither a bargain nor an overpay, but the kind of contract that reflects Gibbens' likely role as a reserve or rotational contributor rather than a starter carrying a defense. The Cardinals are operating in full roster-build mode after a 3-14 season and a nine-game losing streak, so adding journeyman depth at linebacker on a short-term pact makes practical sense without tying up cap space long-term. The two-year structure keeps flexibility intact: if Gibbens doesn't fit the scheme or underperforms, Arizona can move on without significant dead-cap consequences, a prudent stance when the organization is clearly in transition. This is the type of low-commitment signing that doesn't move the needle on a rebuild—functional, forgettable, and exactly the kind of contract that should grade as middle-of-the-road rather than a win or mistake.