NFL Execs Get Brutally Honest on Arizona Cardinals

There's not a ton of belief within the NFL.

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon against the Las Vegas Raiders during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The start of the regular season is right around the corner for the Arizona Cardinals, who are set to battle the New Orleans Saints in Week 1.

All eyes are on the Cardinals as third-year coach Jonathan Gannon could potentially guide them to the postseason - a place they haven't been since 2021.

There's talent, surely, which has generated quite the buzz throughout the Valley as 2025 approaches. It's fair to say there's plenty of fan and local media expectations of a potential postseason berth.

But what do actual NFL executives think of the Cardinals?

NFL Execs Get Brutally Honest on Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) warms up before their game against the Las Vegas Raiders at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, on Aug. 23, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Athletic recently had NFL executives rank each NFC squad - and the Cardinals ultimately finished at tenth place among votes in the conference. One voter ranked them as high as sixth and as low as 15th.

“They are good enough to stay in games,” one NFL executive said. “They will be relevant until the fourth quarter, and more times than not, they will not be able to close games out. Whether it be a turnover, the inability to get a stop.

"They can be exciting to watch. Kyler Murray is very talented and can make some things happen. But I don’t know that they have enough from a team makeup standpoint to close games out.”

That was the case for Arizona last season - as they found themselves in plenty of games down the stretch of the regular season but failed to win any of the three one-score games they were in after their bye week.

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon against the Las Vegas Raiders during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The other NFL executive who spoke with The Athletic was a bit more optimistic when it came to Arizona:

“I think they’re a team that could beat teams that people wouldn’t expect them to beat,” another voter said.

“And then I expect (Jonathan) Gannon to continue to do well molding that defense to his liking. But losing Nolen to that injury, I expected him to be an impact player, so to have him not practice all of camp and be out the first few weeks is going to hurt his development.”

The Cardinals finished ahead of the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Carolina Panthers in the voting. The Seattle Seahawks were above Arizona at No. 9.

Only two NFL executives ranked the Cardinals tenth place or better ahead of the 2025 season.