2025 Arizona Cardinals training camp roster preview: OL Christian Jones
The Arizona Cardinals report to training camp on July 22 and begin the process of preparing for the regular season, forming the roster and determining starting jobs and roles on the team.
Leading up to the start of camp, we will take a look at every player on the offseason roster, their background, their contract, their play in 2024, questions they face and their roster outlook.
Next up is offensive lineman Christian Jones.
Christian Jones background, 2024 season
Jones enters his second NFL season and with the Cardinals. He was drafted in the fifth round last year out of Texas, where he played six seasons, starting every single game of his final four. He began his rookie season on injured reserve for the first seven weeks. After he was activated, he was inactive as a healthy scratch for the next eight games. He ended up starting the season finale in Week 18 after Paris Johnson, Jonah Williams and Jackson Barton all ended up on injured reserve and Kelvin Beachum started at left tackle.
He played 74 total offensive snaps in two games.
Christian Jones 2025 contract details, cap hit
Jones signed a four-year rookie deal worth $4.33 million. In 2025, he will make $960,000 as his salary if he makes the active roster and will count $1.04 million against the cap.
Questions he faces, roster outlook
Jones didn't get much of an opportunity to show much but wasn't terrible in his one start. The Cardinals' three top tackles of Johnson, Williams and Beachum return and are roster locks, so Jones' spot on the roster isn't certain.
He is on the roster bubble entering camp but perhaps is one of the favorites of the bubble players. He will battle for one of the one or two final offensive line spots, whether they keep nine or 10 on the roster. He won't make the regular eight-man rotation that will be active on game days, as they need a swing tackle, which is Beachum, a backup center and a swing guard.
So Jones' play will be notable to watch, especially with the versatile Nick Leverett on the roster and the addition of undrafted rookie Josh Fryar.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
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