The Seattle Seahawks swept their NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals in 2024, winning both regular-season contests. Seattle won the first showdown 16-6 at Lumen Field in Week 12. In the Week 14 rematch, Seattle’s offense encountered little resistance from the Cardinals’ defense, winning 30-18.
That could change in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus. Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort has made sweeping changes to the defense this offseason. The Cardinals added defensive linemen like Calais Campbell, Josh Sweat, and Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency. They also continued investing in the defense during the 2025 NFL draft by selecting DT Walter Nolen, CB Will Johnson, and EDGE Jordan Burch.
PFF took notice.
“The Cardinals were another team in need of renewed juice on defense, leading to significant investments this offseason — and that didn’t stop on draft day, as six of Arizona’s seven picks were used on the defensive side of the ball,” Mason Cameron recently wrote. “Arizona started off Day 1 with a bit of a surprise, selecting Walter Nolen. While many anticipated the pick would target the secondary — namely Michigan cornerback Will Johnson — Johnson slid down draft boards, allowing the Cardinals to grab him in the second round.”
The Cardinals made sizable investments in their defense this offseason. The Seahawks countered with sweeping changes offensively, adding offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and quarterback Sam Darnold, to name a few. We’ll see which unit possesses the advantage in 2025.