The one-year, $1.75 million contract signed by new Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga pales in comparison to the two others added to the unit since the beginning of the league year.
However, that doesn’t mean his addition should be considered an afterthought.
Asked what impressed him about the 6-foot-4, 338-pound mountain of a man, general manager Monti Ossenfort said Wednesday, “He’s big, that’s the first thing. The first time I met him, man, he’s a thick dude. He’s played quite a bit of ball here the last couple years. Really finished the season strong last year for Minnesota.
“So, I don’t think whether it’s the offensive line or the defensive line; I don’t think you can ever have enough depth or competition up there on each side of those lines. So another guy to come in here and compete and see if he can carve out a role on the team.”
Tonga entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick by the Bears (250th overall) in 2021 and played 15 games, starting two that season. However, he was waived in the cutdown to 53 players the following summer and was signed to the Falcons’ practice squad on Sept. 5.
A month later, the Vikings signed him and in two seasons, he played 25 games with four starts. In 2023, he played 14 and started the final two games of the season. He was on the field for 66 of his season-total 188 defensive snaps in those games against the Packers and Lions with 41 percent in Week 17 and 63 percent in Week 18. Of the 15 tackles (nine unassisted) he had all season, eight solos were in those two games.
While defensive linemen Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols each signed three-year contracts worth a combined $52.165 million with $$41.64 million of guarantees ($36.75 million fully guaranteed at signing), Tonga’s is a larger contract than the one signed by defensive end L.J. Collier (one year, $1,292,500), who was re-signed after suffering a torn biceps in the 2023 season opener.
Khyiris Tonga contract, salary cap details
The $1.75 million for Tonga includes a base salary of $1.055 million with $150,000 of it guaranteed along with a $250,000 signing bonus for a total of $400,000 guaranteed. He will also receive a $100,000 offseason workout bonus and there are $20,000 per-game roster bonuses for a possible total of $340,000.
His salary-cap charge is $1.75 million.
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