Cardinals tackle D.J. Humphries works on a pass set this week during Phase Two work.
The Cardinals believe D.J. Humphries can be their long-time left tackle.
They took a step toward making sure that will happen Friday, when a source confirmed the team exercised the fifth-year option on his contract, extending his rookie deal through 2019. (Humphries later tweeted the news.) It will make his 2019 salary about $9.6 million. His 2018 salary was already scheduled to be $1.45 million. Humphries was the team's first-round pick in 2015.
Humphries was inactive every game of his rookie season. He moved into the starting lineup as a right tackle in 2016, moving to left tackle when then-starter Jared Veldheer suffered a season-ending injury. Humphries, however, missed the final three games that season with a concussion.
He was officially moved to left tackle last season, but ultimately played in only five total games with two knee injuries – the second of which featured a dislocated kneecap, torn quad and torn medial patellofemoral ligament.
Humphries remains limited this offseason as he rehabs his knee, but he has expressed optimism multiple times for 2018, part of the maturity he acknowledged he has gained since coming into the league.
"I've had to realize, 'Bro, this is not a game,' " Humphries said earlier this offseason. " 'People are not here playing with you.' You are spending a lot of people's money in this building that are expecting a return on investment and you're making them look stupid right now. When that started to click for me … that's growing up."
