Cardinals trade for pass rusher Baron Browning, deal pick to Broncos

The Arizona Cardinals traded for Denver Broncos pass rusher Baron Browning on Monday with the NFL trade deadline closing in, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported.

In exchange for the pass rusher’s services, the Cardinals are sending back a sixth-round draft pick in 2025.

Browning, a 2021 third-round choice out of Ohio State, has seven tackles and no sacks this season in five games played. He spent a chunk of the year on injured reserve with a foot issue.

Browning, 25, is in the final year of his rookie contract.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound outside linebacker fell out of the current rotation due to his injury but produced 9.5 sacks wtih two forced fumbles and four passes defensed over 24 combined games over the 2022-23 seasons.

Why the Cardinals traded for Broncos pass rusher Baron Browning

Pass rusher and defensive line remain among Arizona’s biggest priorities this trade deadline due to injuries and inconsistency in both rooms.

The Cardinals were already down a starter in BJ Ojulari, who went down with a season-ending knee injury in training camp, before losing Dennis Gardeck to a torn ACL in Week 7.

Arizona reportedly had made calls about New York Giants pass rusher Azeez Ojulari and the Tennessee Titans’ Arden Key.

It’s not any better for the defensive line, which lost a pair of starters and free-agent additions Bilal Nichols (neck) and Justin Jones (triceps) for the year.

Before helping set a season high in sacks (six) in Sunday’s 29-9 win over the Chicago Bears, Arizona’s edge rushers had been sackless since Week 2’s victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

Until Dante Stills registered 0.5 sacks to move to 3.5 on the year, a team-high, Gardeck had been the leading sackgetter despite going down with his injury.

That’ll happen when you’re the 30th-ranked team in the league in total quarterback pressures with 76.

The NFL trade deadline is 2 p.m. MST on Tuesday.