Cardinals Give LB Jordan Hicks Permission To Seek Trade

According to Ian Rapoport, the Cardinals have given LB Jordan Hicks permission to seek a trade. 

Arizona just drafted LB Zaven Collins in the first round and envisions him starting alongside last year’s first-round LB Isaiah Simmons in the middle of the defense. 

That could push out Hicks, who took a pay cut earlier this offseason to stay with the Cardinals. Rapoport says the team is trying to do right by Hicks and find a place where he is more assured of a role.

If there’s no market for Hicks, he still could stay as a veteran voice and potential reserve, per Rapoport.

For 2021, Hicks agreed to reduce his 2021 base salary to $2 million and eliminate his roster bonus. In turn, Hicks receives $1 million in per-game roster bonuses.

Hicks is set to count $6 million against the Cardinals’ salary cap in 2021.

In 2022, Hicks’ base salary has been lowered to $4.25 million and his roster bonus has been reduced to $750,000. He receives the same $1 million in per-game roster bonuses as he’ll make this year.

Hicks, 28, is a former third-round pick of the Eagles back in 2015. He played out the final year of his four-year, $2,992,732 contract and was testing the open market when he agreed to a four-year deal worth $36 million contract that included $20 million guaranteed with Arizona back in 2019. 

In 2020, Hicks appeared in all 16 games for the Cardinals and recorded 118 tackles, one interception and four passes defended. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the No. 54 linebacker out of 83 qualifying players.