Golden Cardinal

Background: SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 21: Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks slides to avoid a tackle by Markus Golden #44 of the Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at Lumen Field on November 21, 2021 in Seattle, Washington.

There is a golden cardinal in Arizona. His name is Markus Golden.

You see —- Markus Golden loves being a Cardinal. He is, as the saying goes, “loyal as a dog.” Which, of course, is entirely fitting because Markus, who is about as tenacious and scrappy a playmaker as there is in the NFL, is known to his coaches, teammates and Arizona Cardinals’ fans as “Junkyard Dog.”

Which inspired the title of this recent thread: “Anatomy of a Junkyard Dog Sack”:

https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2021/11/11/22776328/anatomy-of-a-junkyard-dog-sack

If there has been one Cardinal who set the new and specially positive tone of the 2021 season, that player is Junkyard Dog —- beginning with the team friendly incentive laden 2 year contract he signed (detailed here by the Arizona Cardinals):...

“When Markus Golden re-signed with the Cardinals this past offseason, he wanted nothing else. And with the desire to remain in Arizona, he was willing to be flexible with his contract. He signed a two-year contract, with a $1.5 million signing bonus and salaries of $1 million this season and $2 million in 2022. It was a bargain for a pass rusher, with much of the other money tied to availability and sack incentives — $15,625 for each game played, and then certain sack levels. Field Yates noted that with Golden’s 10th sack of the season, against the Seahawks, Golden had already earned $1 million of the sack incentives this season, and if he gets to 13, he will earn another $1M.”

Yes, Markus set a tremendously positive tone for the 2021 season, not only for embracing this modest “bet on myself” type of incentive- based contract —- but Markus took his positive tone to a crescendo when he wanted all of his coaches, teammates and Cardinals’ fans to hear:

“I am blessed to be an Arizona Cardinal.”

Notice in this video about Markus’ early season success —- he gives the credit to to “my coaches and my teammates” and his determination to “work hard every day in order to help the team.”

Do yourself a favor and watch this five minute video of a chat that Markus had with Lisa Matthews. Do all of us here at ROTB a favor and tell us what emotions you were feeling during this chat. Take a minute or two to pay homage to this man. I will hop back in to express my emotions after many of you have expressed yours.

“In my heart I will always be a Cardinal.” Markus “Junkyard Dog” Golden

#BirdGang for life