2024 Cardinals roster preview: P Blake Gillikin

The Arizona Cardinals will open training camp July 23 and begin the process of preparing for the regular season, forming the roster and determining starting jobs and roles on the team.

Leading up to the start of camp, we will take a look at every player on the offseason roster, their background, their contract, their play in 2023, questions they face and their roster outlook.

Next up is punter Blake Gillikin.

Background

Gillikin was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Saints in 2020 and kicked for two seasons in New Orleans until he was waived last year in the cutdown to 53 players. He spent his rookie season on injured reserve because of a back injury. The Cardinals signed him on Oct. 3 to replace Nolan Cooney, who was the punter for the first four games of the season. After becoming an unrestricted free agent in March, he was signed to a two-year contract on the first day of the new league year. He also is the holder for Matt Prater on placekicks.

2023 stats

In 13 games for the Cardinals, Gillikin punted 51 times for an overall average of 50.6 yards and a net average of 43.6, which ranked eighth in the NFL. The 50.6-yard average set a team record and was the third-highest in the NFL. He placed 11 punts inside the 20 and had only two touchbacks. His long punt was 77 yards.

2024 contract details, cap hit

The total value of Gillikin’s contract is $3.7 million with $1.2 million guaranteed. The latter is in the form of a $600,000 signing bonus and $600,000 of his $1.3 million base salary. Gillikin’s cap charge is $1.6 million.

Questions he faces

The only questions are consistency, as well as being able to continue to work more with Prater as the holder for kicks.

2024 roster outlook

The only punter on the roster as camp opens, Gillikin is expected to have a lock on the job.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Sub scribe on Spotify , YouTube or Apple podcasts .