TEMPE, Ariz. — When the Arizona Cardinals permit themselves to lastly take a breath after the season, whether or not that is on a seaside in Cabo or on a sofa in Arizona, and begin dissecting how 2025 went, they’re going to hold coming again to 1 query.
What went flawed?
For a staff that gained eight video games in 2024 and had playoff aspirations, this season fell far under expectations. At 3-13, the Cardinals have tied their worst report within the fashionable period. A loss Sunday will give them their worst single-season report for the reason that 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
The preliminary analysis of how and why this season went off the rails will produce the plain causes, beginning with accidents. By Week 16, simply 4 of the Cardinals’ Day 1 starters remained. The remainder? Injured. And heading into the season finale Sunday in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium, they’ve 22 gamers on injured reserve — together with the beginning quarterback, the highest two working backs, two of the highest 4 tight ends, each beginning offensive tackles and the 2025 first-round choose.
Then there’s the protection, which gave up 40 factors thrice in a five-game stretch adopted by 37 two weeks later.
And, lastly, the offense will get its personal analysis, one that can look deeply at the way it fared with Kyler Murray at quarterback for the primary 5 weeks in opposition to the way it carried out from Week 6 on with Jacoby Brissett underneath middle.
And, but, they don’t seem to be the complete explanation why the Cardinals regressed in 2025 after regular progress from 4 wins in coach Jonathan Gannon’s first season in 2023 to eight in Yr 2. This season’s decline has been due, in very massive half, to 1 drive: The Cardinals themselves.
“You’ll be able to return to nevertheless many video games, even in a few of the video games the place we gained the place we simply did not succeed on the drive, it has been like, ‘Why did not we succeed? Oh, properly, we did this flawed, or I did this flawed,'” Brissett mentioned. “It is by no means been (that) they only outschemed us, outplayed us or something like that.”
The story of the Cardinals’ season would be the weekly battle to appropriate prior errors together with the power to proceed making new ones every sport. For a staff that believed it was a division contender heading into the season, how 2025 has unfolded has left Arizona’s locker room constantly annoyed.
Brissett mentioned there have been occasions, akin to throughout the Cardinals’ 45-17 loss to the Rams in Week 14 that he would have a look at performs on the pill on the sideline and assume: “They did not have something to do with that.”
It was, concurrently, irritating and inspiring.
Sure, encouraging.
“As a result of it is similar to, ‘All proper, let’s simply deal with us,'” Brissett mentioned. “We have had a superb week of preparation. Clearly, coaches put us in a superb scenario and now we simply should execute it.”
Publicly, Gannon has fallen on the sword, saying — often in his postgame opening feedback — that Arizona must be coached higher whereas sprucing and fixing the small print. It is reached a degree the place he appears like a damaged report. and he is aware of it.
“Somewhat bit if you’re shedding for me a minimum of,” he mentioned. “You are attempting to do the whole lot that you would be able to. How can I impression profitable? You attempt to make some tweaks right here or there. You retain a superb angle. You retain the precise mindset. You do your job at a excessive stage. It is arduous if you’re not getting the outcomes you need, however nobody’s going to leap off the diving board. I do know that.”
Gannon has made modifications, albeit none the fan base has been clamoring for, akin to firing assistants. Earlier than the season, he altered the staff’s journey schedule for highway video games in order that they fly earlier on journey days than up to now and maintain a walkthrough within the metropolis they’re taking part in in versus holding the walkthrough in Arizona after which getting on a airplane, like they did throughout his first two seasons. Then Gannon modified the day by day schedule after Thanksgiving, packing in conferences earlier than follow on Thursdays and Fridays so gamers might go house each time follow was over. It made Fridays a bit busier than earlier than the modifications and has drawn blended critiques within the locker room.
But, little that Arizona did led to wins this season. It began 2-0 with Murray on the helm and has gone 1-13 since. However why? Gannon mentioned “there’s loads of layers” to why the Cardinals’ course of hasn’t translated to wins.
What the fallout from the season shall be will not be recognized till Monday morning, when proprietor Michael Bidwill would hearth Gannon, if he does. It will not be till per week or two till workers modifications, if they’re made, are revealed.
However the largest consequence of this season could not begin unfolding till mid-March, when the Cardinals must decide whether or not to maintain Murray on the roster. Then, in April, Arizona will face a franchise-shifting resolution: To draft or to not draft a quarterback?
With an 83% probability of maintaining a top-five choose, in accordance with the ESPN Soccer Energy Index, the Cardinals shall be in prime place to draft one of many high three signal-callers. Heading into Week 18, the Cardinals personal the fifth total choose, placing them in a spot to probably land Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore or Alabama’s Ty Simpson. Relying on how the final weekend of the season goes, Arizona might discover itself as excessive as No. 2.
However drafting a quarterback will not be an remoted resolution by common supervisor Monti Ossenfort — if he is nonetheless in that function by April.
It’s going to be along with what Arizona does with the remainder of the quarterback room in addition to hinge on whether or not Bidwill decides to make modifications at head coach and common supervisor — or each.
Brissett is underneath contract for subsequent season, however Arizona would possibly have a look at bringing in one other veteran to compete with Brissett to be a potential bridge quarterback and a mentor for a rookie. There are a variety of veteran quarterbacks who’ll be in the marketplace, together with Teddy Bridgewater, Joe Flacco, Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota, Malik Willis, Mitchell Trubisky and Russell Wilson. However what this season did for Brissett was give Arizona an extended analysis of him, however the outcomes are a blended bag. He is gained simply as soon as since taking up the beginning function in Week 6, however alternatively he is additionally the top-ranked quarterback throughout that stretch. He is ranked first in dropbacks, motion performs, completions and makes an attempt since Week 6, whereas being ranked second in passing yards and fifth in completion proportion above anticipated. And he is carried out that whereas having a roster that is been decimated by accidents.
What Arizona additionally gleaned from Brissett’s time at quarterback is how a quarterback of his stature — 6-foot-4 and 235 kilos — performs in offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s scheme. All of that can velocity up the method of Arizona deciding whether or not it desires to maintain Brissett for 2026.
Sadly for Arizona, two of the 4 groups forward of it as of now want a quarterback dangerous sufficient to take one excessive within the first spherical: the Las Vegas Raiders, who choose first total, and the New York Jets, who choose third.
The New York Giants are at No. 2 however have their quarterback of the longer term in Jaxson Dart, and the Tennessee Titans are at No. 4 with final yr’s No. 1 total choose, Cam Ward, at QB.
In idea, Arizona ought to be capable of choose certainly one of three from amongst Mendoza, Moore and Simpson. Who, although, in actuality, will nonetheless be on the board once they go on the clock is the most important query.
Internally, Arizona has taken a liking to Simpson, a 6-foot-2 pocket passer.
Nevertheless, the Cardinals might keep away from drafting a quarterback within the high 5 and shift their draft method utterly and deal with taking a quarterback later within the first spherical and even within the second.
There, Miami’s Carson Beck or LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier might be accessible if Arizona wished to commerce down or again within the first spherical or wait it out on the high of the second. Amongst Beck, Nussmeier and Simpson, Beck is essentially the most reverse of the 5-10, 207-pound Murray, checking in at 6-4 and 220 kilos.
What might shake up how Arizona approaches its quarterback resolution shall be if Bidwill decides to fireside both Gannon or Ossenfort or clear home utterly.
If Bidwill fires Gannon, who has two years left on his contract, then the brand new coach will need to choose his personal quarterback. Nevertheless, there are some across the Cardinals who consider if Bidwill fired each Gannon and Ossenfort, then there’s an out of doors probability the brand new regime could determine it may possibly run it again with Murray.
Gannon has continued to say he “completely” has been capable of block out the noise about him being on the recent seat and is simply concentrating on his job. He does not let himself take into consideration what might occur on Monday morning, however he mentioned if he needed to pitch himself to Bidwill to return for a fourth season it might be easy.
“I consider in myself, and I consider in our staff,” Gannon mentioned. “We’re at a dip proper now, and we’re going via some adversity, however I do consider in us, and we’ll get out of the dip.”
