Cardinals Release QB Mike Glennon, S Antoine Bethea Before Free Agency

NFL roster turnover made its way to the desert Friday as backup quarterback Mike Glennon and safety Antoine Bethea were released by the Arizona Cardinals, per Darren Urban of the team's website.

Bethea spent the last two seasons in Arizona. In 2018, he stood out with 120 total tackles and three sacks. Glennon only spent the last season in Arizona and appeared in two games.

The Cardinals will save $4.75 million in cap space by releasing Bethea, per Over the Cap (via Urban), while Glennon was due $2.5 million in salary along with $3 million in dead money.

Bethea will turn 35 before next season begins, while Glennon will turn 30 in December. 

Glennon was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. He started 18 games for the Bucs but ultimately has found longevity in being a backup.

Coincidentally, the Bucs may be in need of a backup to quarterback Jameis Winston as both Ryan Fitzpatrick and third-stringer Ryan Griffin are set to become unrestricted free agents. The option may be appealing to Glennon, too, as Winston is on shaky ground in Tampa Bay.

Bethea will enter a stacked safety free-agency class alongside Tyrann Mathieu, Landon Collins, Kenny Vaccaro, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Earl Thomas, all of whom are significantly younger than Bethea. 

As for the Cardinals, today's news marks the official end of the failed 2018 offseason acquisitions of both Glennon and quarterback Sam Bradford: 

As first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury continues to mold his roster, the question looms large whether second-year quarterback Josh Rosen will stay or join Glennon and Bradford in their departures to make room for potential No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray.