Arizona Cardinals sign K Joshua Karty

Joshua Karty's one-year, $1.075M signing with Arizona earns a D+ Contract Value Index (CVI)—a below-market deal that reflects the kicker's middling leverage in a league where positional depth is plentiful and replacement-level talent is cheap. At that price point on a prove-it deal, the Cardinals are betting on a bounce-back from what appears to be an unreliable tenure, though the kicker's production history suggests minimal upside relative to the investment. The CVI grade reflects the core tension: a $1.075M annual commitment isn't onerous for an NFL roster, but it signals the front office lacks confidence in long-term stability at the position—otherwise this would have been a multi-year extension or a higher AAV to lock in continuity. For a team sitting at 3-14 and rebuilding in the offseason, allocating even this modest capital to a special-teams veteran carries real opportunity cost; those dollars could have been redirected to depth at premium positions. The one-year structure actually works in Arizona's favor, allowing a quick pivot if performance doesn't materialize, but it also means the kicker enters the year on thin ice—this is a prove-it audition, not a vote of confidence.