Cardinals’ Justin Bethel betting on himself

Harsh words can motivate a football player. A 63 percent pay cut can have the opposite effect.

Justin Bethel is hoping to use both to his advantage.

“It’s called betting on yourself,” he said.

Bethel will turn 27 next month, and has three Pro Bowls on his resume. He’s also among a handful of Cardinals entering a make-or-break season. His fall from grace has been unexpected and painful.

Head coach Bruce Arians called him a “failure in progress” following a December loss to the Dolphins. The organization negotiated a $2.5 million salary reduction in 2017, with Bethel agreeing to play for $2 million in exchange for unrestricted free agency in 2018. An athlete formerly championed as one of the best role players in the Valley has arrived at a professional crossroads.

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Bethel is not alone. Jared Veldheer, the team’s MVP in 2014, is coming off a torn triceps injury and has been switched to right guard. Even worse, the part-time brewmaster submitted a batch of homemade beer in a recent competition, only to be disqualified for using bottles one inch larger than the allotted size.

Drew Stanton has five preseason games to hold off the newly signed Blaine Gabbert. Veteran Karlos Dansby is beginning his third different stint with the Cardinals and playing on a one-year contract. John Brown slumped badly due to medical issues in 2017 and is entering the last year of his rookie deal.

Bethel is in a different position. He’s one of the NFL’s best performers on special teams. The Cardinals signed him to a three-year extension worth $15 million near the end of the 2015 season, betting on his development over proven commodities like Rashad Johnson and Jerraud Powers. The results have been disappointing, to say the least.

Bethel remains undeterred. He was a productive force in the team’s two-game winning streak at the end of last season, including an interception returned for a touchdown in a week 17 rout of the Rams. He is one of 11 cornerbacks on the team’s roster, but has the advantage of experience, good and bad.

Arians has since softened on his comments, absolving Bethel for injuries that have slowed his transition to defensive back. Bethel is fully healed from a broken foot that sabotaged his fifth season in the NFL. There seems to be no hard feelings on either side.

“We’re on good terms,” Bethel said. “I don’t hold anything against him.”

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Arians has walked this tightrope before. His harsh criticism of D.J. Humphries spawned dramatic improvement in the rookie offensive lineman, who is now the team’s starting left tackle. His assessment of Bethel prompted a visit from the player’s father, who noticed an immediate difference.

“You trying to motivate my son?” the father asked.

“Yeah,” Arians said.

“It seems to be working,” the father replied.

The Cardinals sorely need a competent cornerback opposite Patrick Peterson, and Bethel will get another chance to fill the team’s most pressing need. The job is fraught with frequency and danger, as Peterson was the least-targeted cornerback in the NFL in 2016. The guy on the other side will be the most-tested player on defense in 2017.

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The target doesn’t seem to scare Bethel, if only because he’s finally healthy.

“Before I broke my foot, I thought I was going to come into the season and earn the starting job,” he said. “I still had high hopes that I would be healthy by training camp. That wasn’t the case. I was just trying to make it through (the season). I knew I wasn’t healthy enough to play corner all the time.

“By the end of the season, I was able to really practice and get out there and play. And I think it was evident on the field. Obviously, I’m going to try and take that and keep moving forward.”

The change in contractual terms was a great move by the Cardinals. It afforded them salary-cap space, and with his future on the line, it all but assured that Bethel will have to double up as an impact player on special teams.

Bethel understands the landscape. Best of all, he doesn’t seem to hold any bitterness or angst toward his uncertain future.

“I think it was just one of those things, a situation where the team thought because of the way the season ended and where they need to be in the future, it was something they wanted to throw out there,” Bethel said. “We just ended up making it beneficial for both sides. I don’t have any ill will. You have to play to earn your money in this league.”

Once upon a time, the Cardinals bet heavy on Bethel. Now, he’s wagering on himself. Let’s hope everybody wins.

Reach Bickley at [email protected] or 602-444-8253. Follow him on twitter.com/dan.bickley. Listen to “Bickley and Marotta” weekdays from 12-2 p.m. on 98.7 Arizona’s Sports Station.