Markus Bailey, formerly of the Bengals, revealed his motivation for joining the Cardinals.

Markus Bailey, formerly of the Bengals, revealed his motivation for joining the Cardinals.

Ex-Bengals linebacker Markus Bailey signs a one-year contract with the Cardinals

Markus Bailey, a former linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals, was signed by the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday for a one-year contract. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network broke the initial news of the transaction. Bailey was mostly utilized as a special team player during his four-year (60 game) tenure in Cincinnati; he never saw more than 24% of available defensive snaps in a single season. Conversely, throughout the previous four years, he recorded at least 43% of special teams reps.

Bailey, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound player, appeared in 17 games with the Bengals in his final season, recording 10 tackles.

Since Bailey has participated in at least 16 games in each of the previous three seasons, availability hasn’t been a major problem for him. Bailey was selected by Cincinnati in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Purdue. He now becomes a member of the inside linebackers group that also includes Owen Pappoe, Mack Wilson Sr., Kyzir White, and Krys Barnes. Inside, White and Wilson should lead the way, with Barnes providing a valuable depth piece. Pappoe adds an extremely athletic choice to the mix. Trevor Nowaske and Tyreek Maddox-Williams complete the group. The arrival of Bailey is announced a few days before the rookie minicamp for the Cardinals begins on Friday. Darius Robinson, a defensive lineman, and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. are two players to keep an eye on.