14 Biggest Winners and Losers From Cardinals Training Camp

Arizona Cardinals training camp is officially a thing of the past.

The Cardinals put a bow on their time at State Farm Stadium this week after 15 practices as preparation for the second portion of preseason will fully commence at Tempe the rest of the way.

It was a productive outing for head coach Mike LaFleur and his first summer running the Cardinals. Now, we inch closer to crafting a final 53-man roster with the regular season slowly but surely approaching.

Our biggest winners and losers from Glendale:

*Note, this is purely from a training camp practice perspective*

Big Winner: Jacoby Brissett

Why: The Cardinals' quarterback was already under contract and clearly won't be part of the team's future plans beyond 2026 — and still managed to get $15 million guaranteed from the organization. Brissett negotiated on his own (without an agent) and knew the Cardinals were in a position to meet him in the middle after already committing to him as their starter.

Brissett's a fine quarterback, better than most give him credit for. His overall cap number this year still doesn't sniff average starting quarterback money — though Brissett still was able to almost triple his money even after a statistically solid but overall poor 2025 season. That's a massive win.

Big Loser: Trey Benson

Why: Benson needed to have a strong training camp to make the Cardinals think twice about moving on from him, especially after adding Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier this offseason. The results? Benson barely practiced during team drills thanks to his ongoing recovery from meniscus surgery while Bam Knight clearly established himself ahead in the pecking order.

In a league where the best ability is availability, Benson hasn't sniffed that and is considered to be a stretch to play in the preseason. The overwhelming feeling in the desert is Benson will either be traded or cut before the regular season, which is sad considering the former Day 2 pick was being talked about as a 1A/1B starter next to James Conner at this time just a year ago.

Big Winner: Bam Knight

Why: Arizona's practically guaranteed to keep three running backs in Love, Allgeier and Conner. Conversations around potentially keeping a fourth rusher are ongoing, especially with the Cardinals pigeonholed in keeping three quarterbacks on the roster. If Arizona does keep a fourth running back, it's clearly Knight.

Knight impressed last preseason and has proven himself in new opportunities while the aforementioned Benson was sidelined. He also began practicing with special teams units later in camp, which improves his overall value and could be the deciding factor if he's one of the final candidates to crack the 53-man roster, especially after the Cardinals lost ace Joey Blount.

Slight Loser: Chase Bisontis

Why: Bisontis was a second-round pick, and a high one at that. There were massive expectations of Bisontis starting right away... but that hasn't been the case. Isaiah Adams has had a stranglehold on the position since the first moments of camp and never looked back.

Calling Bisontis a loser here feels harsh. He looked strong in the Hall of Fame Game, but it does feel as if it will take Adams playing poorly and "lose" the job for the rookie to enter the starting lineup in 2026. Given how high Bisontis was drafted, expectations of contributing immediately now have to be dampened.

Big Winner: Isaiah Adams

Why: Adams was hit-and-miss through his first two seasons in the NFL, and if the Cardinals were supremely confident in his abilities, they wouldn't have taken Bisontis so high. Adams was shaky entering this summer, though it's been so far, so good for the third-year guard.

Adams has impressed the entire coaching staff and essentially has the starting job in his hands. Considering the overall outlook on Adams' trajectory and the Cardinals taking a potential replacement high in the draft, Adams emerging from camp as the starting right guard is a big win for him.

Slight Loser: Kedon Slovis

Why: Slovis had the chips stacked against him entering this training camp with two fresh additions to the quarterback room. Slovis, effectively Arizona's fourth quarterback, was relegated to not participating in team drills after Brissett returned.

Slovis' bags are all but packed at this point, as it's only a formality that he'll be cut barring an injury to any of the three quarterbacks ahead. Even if that were to happen, the Cardinals would likely cut Slovis and attempt to bring him back on the practice squad. Slovis, unfortunately, was doomed for this fate from the start.

Big Winner: Jayden Williams

Why: Seventh-round picks are often coin-flips to make a roster, let alone carving out roles with their play in training camp. Williams, a rookie tackle, went from being a massive question mark to an undeniable second-teamer that is getting reps on both the left and right side of the line of scrimmage.

Williams played some strong college ball but struggled with injuries, which hurt his draft stock. Now, the Cardinals could be on the verge of having a developmental gem on the roster. His rise up the depth chart has been nothing short of impressive.

Loser: Christian Jones

Why: Christian Jones was a fifth-round pick in 2024 who made one start in his rookie season but didn't register an offensive snap last year. Jones landed on injured reserve during both of his first two seasons, and this offseason that led to the Cardinals signing a handful of cheap veteran placeholders to fill the depth.

The camp opportunities for Jones have dwindled, as he's often rotated with the third team when other times he's been off the field completely. Now, Jones is on the outside looking in of the roster with Williams and Fryar ahead of him as backup tackle options.

Winner(s): Practically Every WR

Why: This is a laundry list of players, but a blend of talent and play-design from LaFleur has seen Cardinals receivers open — often. Marvin Harrison Jr. bounced back nicely after early camp drops while Michael Wilson continues to steadily make plays. Kendrick Bourne, a free agent arrival, has quietly been a playmaker during camp, too.

Yet the list doesn't stop there. Rookie Reggie Virgil came on strong during the late stages of camp while Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Jalen Brooks are going to force a difficult decision on what the final receiver spot looks. Other depth guys such as Simi Fehoko, Xavier Weaver, Bryson Green and Harrison Wallace have made respective plays, too.

Quite frankly, all of have made plays.

Loser: BJ Ojulari

Why: This was supposed to be a strong training camp outing for Ojulari after successfully recovering from his severe knee injury. In a weak Cardinals OLB room outside of Josh Sweat, Ojulari had every opportunity to kick that door down.

That's yet to happen. Ojulari has rotated up and down the depth chart with no noticeable impact as a pass rusher, and quite honestly he just might be one of the biggest cut candidates entering the next few weeks despite being a second-round pick.

Winner: Darius Robinson

Why: This seems like a same old song and dance with Robinson, who has previously had strong training camp performances before failing to make a regular season impact. While that can be true, Robinson has looked particularly strong this camp.

He's always looked the part in terms of size and speed, though this camp he was specifically winning one-on-one battles to reach the quarterback in pass rush opportunities, which was one of his biggest deficiencies as a player. This isn't a promise that he'll be better in 2026, but he's undoubtedly been a winner from camp.

Slight Loser: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson

Why: After the departure of Jalen Thompson this offseason, many (including yours truly) believed Taylor-Demerson was clearly in line to start next to Budda Baker. Even after Andrew Wingard signed, Taylor-Demerson was a favorite to finally step into starting duties after two seasons of impressive play as a backup.

When Wingard began taking snaps next to Baker in camp, not much was thought of it. Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis loves to rotate safeties and utilize a dime defense (which deploys three safeties), so it's not as if Taylor-Demerson wouldn't see the field.

However, it's become extremely apparent Wingard will be starting for the Cardinals this season, capping Taylor-Demerson's role/potential even after playing well to begin his career. Rabbit's not a massive loser here, but he's clearly not a winner from this training camp either.

Slight Winner: Eku Leota

Why: There's been a few surprising risers through Cardinals camp, Leota being one. In an outside linebackers room full of veteran names, Leota really needed to prove himself to have a realistic shot of making the roster.

By the end of camp, Leota was rotating in with the ones. He's consistently found himself in the backfield making plays and just might be an eye-opening finalist to make the final roster over Ojulari.

Winner: Kitan Crawford

Why: Crawford, a former seventh-round pick, gave the Cardinals good rotational snaps as a rookie last season while playing 80% of special teams snaps. Crawford, in a crowded safety room, again needed to impress with a new coaching staff in town to make the roster.

He's done just that, earning high marks from LaFleur for his play style. Crawford might not see the field a ton with three safeties ahead of him on the depth chart, though the blend of strong defensive play and special teams acumen (especially with Blount's injury now clearing the path for Crawford on both accounts) makes Crawford an easy lock for the roster.

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