Markus Golden, Cardinals Agree to 2-Year Contract Worth Reported $9M

Markus Golden's second stint with the Arizona Cardinals will continue a bit longer with the linebacker reportedly agreeing to a two-year, $9 million deal Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Cardinals confirmed the length of the agreement after Rapoport's report:  

The linebacker had signed a one-year, $3.75 million deal with New York in 2019 then significantly outplayed it. Golden finished 2019 with 72 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and one fumble recovery while playing a full 16-game season for the first time since 2016, yet the Giants traded him back to Arizona for a 2021 sixth-round draft pick in October.

Now, he's cashing in on free agency.  

The 29-year-old had much to prove after tearing his ACL in Week 4 of the 2017 season when he was with the Arizona Cardinals, and his year in New York helped him do just that. He finished as the Giants' leader in sacks with 5.5 more than his next closest teammate (Lorenzo Carter) and was fifth in tackles, making him a bright spot on an otherwise porous defense.

After watching the likes of fellow linebackers Devon Kennard, Jamie Collins, Joe Schobert and Kyle Van Noy agree to large-scale deals, Golden bided his time a bit before agreeing to a new contract. That paid off in the end for Arizona, which now locks up a familiar face.

The 58th overall pick out of Missouri in the 2015 draft by the Cardinals, Golden spent his first four years in the league with Arizona before joining New York.