Dennis Gardeck was an unknown and unheralded undrafted free agent when he was signed by the Arizona Cardinals from the University of Sioux Falls in 2018.
Who would have thought that four years later, Gardeck would be a core special-teams player in Arizona and sign a three-year contract this week as an unrestricted free agent?
Despite suffering a torn ACL late in the 2020 season, the Cardinals had enough faith in Gardeck’s ability and work ethic to tender him at a second-round draft pick level with a salary of $3.384 million last year. His new three-year deal is worth $10 million and includes $3.75 million fully guaranteed, $2 million of which is a signing bonus.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Gardeck said, “I feel like I have to thank the (owner Michael) Bidwill family and (general manager) Steve Keim because they kind of took a gamble on me. It was a long shot. So I had to seize every single opportunity and every moment and every possibility. I had to make the most out of everything because I knew how quickly or how close to it being over it was. So I think that sense of urgency and kind of, not necessarily, nervousness, but that kind of pressure is kind of what allowed me to have the energy to keep rolling and to keep my motor going.”
When linebacker Chandler Jones was out because of a torn biceps in 2020, the enthusiastic Gardeck was a cult hero, registering 7.0 sacks in only 93 defensive snaps and adding seven tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits. However, last season, in 173 snaps, he had no sacks, one tackle for loss and four quarterback hits.
He did lead the team with 13 special-teams tackles in 2021.
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So, he was asked if he goes back and studies tape to see what he accomplished in 2020 and if it’s a challenge to match those numbers again.
He admitted, “I think I have the same question that I’m sure a lot of you have is: Was that a fluke? And it’s something that drives my training right now. And absolutely I’m watching that film trying to figure out: Did I know what I was doing? Or was I just running around and were guys just having plays off while I was out there? But I think it comes back to staying consistent in your work, trusting the technique and my role within the defense every given play. And then the success follows.”
One thing he knows is that it will be a much different offseason this year preparing to play football rather than rehabbing from a serious injury.
“It’s something I didn’t really notice was happening until now I’m kind of able to breathe,” he said. “I didn’t realize how much I was holding my breath and kind of gritting my teeth through last year. Obviously, I saw that ACL as a huge test for me on how bad do you want it? How much do you love football? I think an injury really questions that. Are you willing to put in the work with that sense of urgency like it is the two-minute drill of the Super Bowl? Are you able to do that, kind of far removed from that kind of pressure?
“When I’m sitting in the training room with (assistant trainer) Chad Cook, and we’re just doing TKEs (terminal knee extensions), or a simple exercise on the training table, I took it as a challenge. And I was kind of in a fight-or-flight mode for that entire year, being able to take a breath. I’m excited to get back to my old self.”
That “old self” will be paid $3.25 million this season in salary ($1.25 million) and bonus, while having an opportunity to make another $340,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($20,000 per game). His salaries are $3.27 million with $500,000 guaranteed in 2023 and $2.6 million in 2024. Those same per-game bonuses apply for those two years.
His cap charge is $2.197 million this year, $4.277 in 2023 and $3.467 million in 2024.
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