The Arizona Cardinals play in arguably the toughest division in the NFL; one that features the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, the reigning league MVP Matthew Stafford and the Rams, plus perennial playoff team San Francisco 49ers.

They are coming off four straight losing seasons and have made the playoffs only once in the past 10 years.

The team released longtime quarterback and former first overall pick Kyler Murray, giving way to veteran Jacoby Brissett to lead the charge with the rookie third round pick out of Miami, Carson Beck, under his wing.

Second round pick Chase Bisontis saw his season end before it even started when he tore his MCL in the team’s second preseason game.

According to betting odds from FanDuel, the only team more likely to finish with the worst record in the NFL is the Miami Dolphins.

That being said, there is much to look forward to for the Cardinals.

For starters, the last time Brissett mentored a rookie quarterback, that team made the Super Bowl the following season. He started the first five weeks for the 2024 New England Patriots before giving way to Drake Maye, who finished second in MVP voting last year and took home the AFC crown.

He now has the chance to mentor Beck, who just led Miami (Fla.) to the National Championship Game.

Or, if Beck isn’t who the front office is eying as its quarterback for the future, the team is in a position to secure a high pick in next year’s draft and potentially select a highly touted prospect like Dante Moore out of Oregon or Arch Manning from Texas.

The Cardinals already have young, standout players on the roster like tight end Trey McBride, offensive lineman Paris Johnson, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and rookie running back Jeremiyah Love.

Walter Nolen, should he stay healthy, is poised to be one of the premier defensive players from the 2025 draft and Josh Sweat, who is 29 years old, is a real game wrecker off the edge.

The team also poached offensive-minded head coach Mike LaFleur from the division rival Los Angeles Rams. LaFleur, the brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, becomes the seventh active head coach to come from the Sean McVay coaching tree.

Additionally, according to Sportrac, the Cardinals are projected to have $113,701,699 in cap space going into 2027. This leads the league by more than $12 million.

The projected 2027 free agent class includes cornerback Marlon Humphrey, wide receiver George Pickens, linebacker Patrick Queen and offesive guard Quenton Nelson.

There are many different ways the front office could attack the future. Hitting on their draft picks is key, but with the massive cap space, young talent and a new head coach, Cardinals fans have reason to be optimistic for what’s to come.

Reporter Zev Black can be reached at zblack@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

Keywords

Arizona Cardinals,

NFL,

Football,

Carson Beck,

Jacoby Brissett,

Trey McBride