Markus Golden left the Cardinals once and he’d prefer not to do it again.
Golden didn’t re-sign with the team after he became a free agent in 2019 and landed with the Giants on a one-year deal. A 10-sack season didn’t result in a long-term deal and he returned to the Giants after they used a rare tender to hold onto his rights.
With Chandler Jones out for the year, the Cardinals were in the market for pass rushing help and traded for Golden in the middle of the season. He had three sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception in nine games with a team he’d like to continue playing for in 2021.
“I love this game, I love playing football,” Golden said, via the team’s website. “I wouldn’t be where I am at, I wouldn’t have been able to go to college, get a college degree. But it’s a special thing being able to play for Arizona. It gave me another shock of energy just being back home. Being here where I know my heart is, it really matters to me to be in Arizona on the Cardinals.”
Haason Reddick is also set for free agency after posting 12.5 sacks, so the Cardinals may have to make a call about which player will be back to complement a healthy Jones next season.