Latest news with #AkeemDavis-Gaither
USA Today
18-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Arizona Cardinals training camp roster preview: LB Akeem Davis-Gaither
We will preview every player on the Cardinals roster leading up to training camp. This is about LB Akeem Davis-Gaither. 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 inside linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither. Akeem Davis-Gaither background, 2024 season Davis-Gaither, from Appalachian State, was selected by the Bengals in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. The Cardinals signed him as an unrestricted free agent on March 14 this year. Mostly a special-teams player in Cincinnati where he became a captain, Davis-Gaither started only 11 games in his career, but seven came last season when he played a career-high 534 defensive snaps (47 percent). Davis-Gaither started the final six games of the season after Logan Wilson was injured and played 376 snaps in those games. For the season, he had 77 tackles (38 solo, four for loss), but 58 tackles and 31 solo stops came in those final six games where he had three double-digit tackle games (12, 12 and 13). Davis-Gaither also played 311 snaps (68 percent) on special teams in 2024 and his percentage of snaps there in the previous four seasons were 64, 61, 68 and 80. Last season, he had five special-teams tackles (three solo) and a fumble recovery. On defense, he also had an interception, one forced fumble and four passes defensed. Akeem Davis-Gaither 2025 contract details, cap hit The two-year contract he signed with the Cardinals is worth $10 million with $5 million guaranteed, including a $$3 million signing bonus. His 2025 salary is $2 million guaranteed and the salary-cap charge is $3.8 million. 2025 questions, roster outlook Davis-Gaither has the inside track on the starting Mike linebacker job for the Cardinals, but he could receive a challenge from fourth-round pick Cody Simon. 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.
USA Today
28-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL LB unit rankings: Arizona Cardinals near bottom of the league
PFF ranked all 32 teams' LB units. See where the Cardinals rank. The offseason of lists and rankings continues as we wait for training camps to begin. These rankings are from PFF, lining up the linebacker units for all 32 NFL teams. As this is one unit the Arizona Cardinals have questions in, you can imagine that they don't rank highly. NFL linebacker rankings: Arizona Cardinals Not only are the Cardinals not ranked highly, they come in near the bottom of the league at No. 29, with only three teams below them. The Cardinals have invested a plethora of resources in their defense this offseason, and the linebacker position is no exception. Former Bengal Akeem Davis-Gaither arrives after posting a 59.0 PFF overall grade in Cincinnati last season. He's projected to start alongside Mack Wilson Sr., who earned a 63.8 PFF overall grade in 2024. Veterans Owen Pappoe and Mykal Walker project as depth, along with fourth-round rookie Cody Simon, but this unit may struggle to hold things together behind what should be an improved defensive line. The Cardinals' linebackers don't inspire optimism outside of the building. Wilson became a starter last year after years of special teams and being a rotational player. Davis-Gaither has only 11 career starts, seven last season replacing Logan Wilson after he was injured. But Cardinals linebackers do put up numbers, and with a beefed up defensive line, maybe they don't need to be great. They just need to tackle effectively. 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.
USA Today
13-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals announce signing of LB Akeem Davis-Gaither
Arizona Cardinals announce signing of LB Akeem Davis-Gaither The Cardinals officially signed linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither to a two-year deal after five seasons with the Bengals. The Arizona Cardinals announced another of their offseason free agent signings. Linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither officially signed his two-year contract on Thursday. Gaither agreed to a two-year deal reportedly worth about $11 million after playing five seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was a team captain in 2024 (on special teams) and played a career-high 311 special teams snaps. He also played a career-high 534 defensive snaps in all 17 games, starting seven times. He started the final six games of the season in the absence of Logan Wilson, who was injured. In three of those six starts to end the season, he had 12 or more tackles. He had an interception and four pass breakups. He projects to be perhaps a starter at linebacker next to Mack Wilson. 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.
