Underdog Cards look to improve after last season's struggles
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Tight end Trey McBride, shown here carrying the ball against the Texans in Houston's NRG Stadium last December, was one of few bright spots in the Cardinals' miserable 2025 season. Photo: Tim Warner/Getty Images
The Arizona Cardinals are hoping there's nowhere to go but up as they try to bounce back from a historically bad 2025 season.
Why it matters: Cardinals fans are used to struggles, but even by the franchise's often-low standards, last season was a mess.
The big picture: The Cardinals start the season as underdogs in every game on their schedule, per Vegas betting odds.
- Yes, but: They've got some winnable games near the end of the season against the Commanders, Saints, Jets and Raiders.
Catch up quick: The franchise had a record 14 losses last year and ended the season in a four-way tie for the NFL's worst record.
- That cost head coach Jonathan Gannon his job after just three seasons with the Cards.
- Former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is taking over in his first head coaching gig.
- And after a tumultuous seven-year run that had its share of ups and downs, the team parted ways with quarterback Kyler Murray, who's now with the Minnesota Vikings.
State of play: Taking over as starting quarterback is journeyman Jacoby Brissett, who stepped into the role last season year after an injury sidelined Murray.
- Brissett and the team agreed to a $15.5 million contract in the offseason, but he's ranked as one of the NFL's worst starting quarters and is already the subject of trade rumors.
- If Brissett underwhelms or gets traded, third-string rookie quarterback Carson Beck, who's earned praise for his preseason play, could get some starts.
Zoom in: The Cards have some bright spots.
- Trey McBride set the NFL record for receptions by a tight end last season with 126, and had the second-most catches in the league. Expectations are high for 2026.
- Receiver Michael Wilson has been a reliable playmaker, and the Cards reached an offseason deal for a three-year extension.
- And a lot of eyes will be on running back Jeremiyah Love, whom the Cards drafted out of Notre Dame this year with the No. 3 pick.
The intrigue: Arizona is still waiting for receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to live up to the high expectations it had when the team drafted him three years ago.
Between the lines: The Cardinals had one of the league's worst defenses last year, and they lost veteran defensive end Calais Campbell, who at 40 years old had the second-highest sack total on the team.
- Sack leader Josh Sweat is ready to play after an offseason spent managing a knee injury.
- And defensive lineman Walter Nolen III, who missed five games in his rookie season last year, wants to be the "heartbeat of the defense."
1 tough division: The Cards are stuck in what's possibly the NFL's toughest division, which includes the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.
The bottom line: Expectations are justifiably low and there's not much cause for optimism — but it won't take much for the Cards to improve on last year's debacle.
What's next: The Cards open their season Sunday on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers.