The Arizona Cardinals believed third-year offensive lineman Mason Cole was ready to take over the starting center job that A.Q. Shipley held when healthy since 2016. The Cardinals did not re-sign Shipley.
Shipley will get at least another season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he has agreed to a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Former Cardinals’ center A.Q. Shipley is reuniting with his former Arizona HC Bruce Arians in Tampa, per source. The two sides have reached agreement, pending physical when protocol allows.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2020
Of course, former Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians now is head coach of the Buccaneers. Arians has been a fan of Shipley for years. He was on the Pittsburgh Steelers staff when Shipley was drafted by them. Shipley was with Arians when he was with the Indianapolis Colts and was with the Cardinals from 2015-2019.
He will likely be a reserve for the Buccaneers, who already have Ryan Jensen as their starting center. However, considering Shipley has been knocked for having short arms, he has managed to last more than a decade.
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