Cardinals GM: Chandler Jones Won't Be Cut, J.J. Watt Could Interest Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals had one of the NFL's most prolific pass rushes last season without Chandler Jones for most of the year, but the team doesn't plan on cutting the three-time Pro Bowler.

Appearing on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM's Doug & Wolf on Friday (h/t Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic), Cardinals general manager Steve Keim refuted speculation that they could cut the edge-rusher to save cap space.

"I'll reject that," he said.

Keim added that Arizona could "take a swing" at defensive lineman J.J. Watt in free agency "if there's an opportunity that makes sense on both the football side and the business side."

Playoff contenders have reportedly targeted Watt since the Houston Texans released him last week.

According to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News, at least a "half-dozen teams" are in the mix to sign Watt, whose criteria for a new home include "a Super Bowl contender and a club with a top-level quarterback."

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com included Jones on a list of potential surprise cuts this offseason, citing his rough start to the 2020 season and a $20.8 million cap hit next year.

Jones, who turns 31 this month, was one of the league's most prolific pass-rushers from 2015 to 2019, including his final season with the New England Patriots in 2015 before they traded him to Arizona. He recorded 72.5 sacks in 79 games, including a league-leading 17 in 2017 and a career-high 19 in 2019.

In five games last year, Jones recorded 11 combined tackles and one sack. His season ended in Week 5 when he injured his biceps against the New York Jets. Arizona tied for fourth in the NFL with 48 sacks in 2020.

Releasing Jones comes with a $5.3 million dead-cap hit, but it would save the Cardinals $15.5 million in cap space. They project to have $19.5 million available this offseason with Patrick Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald and Kenyan Drake among their notable free agents.