For the Arizona Cardinals, there was a small defeat had Monday when it was alleged and revealed that Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell turned down a 5 year $70 million deal.
The reason it is a small defeat is because that was the upper limit of a potential new David Johnson contract, meaning the Cardinals could point to the fact that Johnson has only one season on par with Bell, and therefore could work down from a salary standpoint.
Instead, with Bell turning down the deal looking for a bit more guaranteed money, it means the Cardinals and Johnson will fail to have a framework in mind if and when they get back to the negotiating table.