The Arizona Cardinals Are Closer to Contending Than You Think

The Arizona Cardinals can piece together a turnaround quicker than you think.

Arizona Cardinals new head coach Mike LaFleur at a news conference on Feb. 3, 2026, at Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals aren't synonymous with success.

Dating back to 1947, the Cardinals — having relocated from Chicago to St. Louis to Arizona — have made the playoffs 11 times. Since the Cardinals arrived in the desert in 1988, they've been to six postseasons with one Super Bowl trip back in 2008.

It's been over a decade since Arizona's won a playoff game. The Cardinals just finished 3-14, hired a new head coach with no established track record and are in the toughest division in all of football, which now features the reigning Super Bowl champion.

There's no reason for championship parades to be planned for Glendale anytime soon — though the Cardinals are closer than you'd think to turning things around.

National Media Way Too Low on Cardinals

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) against the Jacksonville Jaguars at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

ESPN recently did a piece sorting through all 18 teams that didn't make the postseason and placed them in tiers relative to their trajectory of making it back to the playoffs.

The Cardinals didn't find themselves in categories such as "no need to panic" or "sneaky good trajectory" — or even the "middle of a rebuild" grouping. Arizona, alongside the Raiders, Dolphins and Jets, were at the bottom of ESPN's rankings in the "full-blown overhaul" section.

The Cardinals do need an overhaul, hence why LaFleur is in the driver's seat while Jonathan Gannon was sent packing.

Jeremy Fowler offered two perspectives for Arizona:

"The hope for a quick turnaround: The law of averages says Arizona will have better luck on the injury front. The team was playing third- and fourth-stringers at several spots last season. Better health will allow Arizona to run the ball more efficiently. The defense is not devoid of talent.

"Why it might take longer than hoped: Arizona could be looking at a complete reset at quarterback, with Kyler Murray owed $36.8 million in guarantees in 2026 and possibly on his way out. The team lacks true blue-chip players, save for 26-year-old tight end Trey McBride and 30-year-old safety Budda Baker. The Cardinals simply weren't competitive for much of last season and must make hard decisions as a result."

READ: Building a Realistic Roadmap for Cardinals' Super Bowl Run

The Cardinals move into the offseason with several key decisions at hand like Fowler suggested, though there's a lot to work with for LaFleur's first season.

Cardinals Are Better Than Most Believe

Arizona Cardinals new head coach Mike LaFleur at a news conference on Feb. 3, 2026, at Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cardinals have talent on both sides of the ball, and while Fowler didn't name these guys as "blue chip" pieces, the likes of Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Paris Johnson Jr., Walter Nolen III, Josh Sweat and Will Johnson among many other solid contributors are surely bright pieces to work with moving forward.

Remember those hefty playoff aspirations Arizona held moving into 2025? That was largely due to a talented defensive roster and expected improvement from several key offensive pieces.

It's not as if this roster transformed overnight — largely the same players are still in Arizona and will be for the next few years.

So, what happened?

The truth likely lies somewhere between the excuse of hefty injuries suffered throughout the season and simply being out-coached. Arizona used a league-leading 80 players entering the final weeks of the year and was often described as a "preseason roster" due to the several practice squad and depth players being called up to contribute.

However, the Cardinals were also just outmatched and out-schemed. That was evident towards the second half of the year, where Arizona ended the season on a nine-game losing streak.

The injury bug likely won't rear its head in similar fashion to 2025 (unless there's a mysterious electrical substation like the 49ers have). There also should be a boost in game-planning with LaFleur, who has experience within the NFC West and is projected to be next in the line of hotshot offensive play-callers.

Even with the mystery of Kyler Murray and the Cardinals' future of the quarterback position, Arizona's in a better spot than some in the national media will give them credit for.

Playoffs shouldn't be the measure of success in 2026 — not with a first-time coach and who knows what at quarterback. Yet with at minimum $40 million in cap space for free agency and a full slate of draft capital, the Cardinals will only improve what already should be a good roster with building blocks on each side of the ball.

Are the Cardinals a great football team? No sir. Can they be a good football team this year? Absolutely.

While the Cardinals need some obvious re-working, they're not close to being in a full-blown rebuild.

One or two additions won't wave a magic wand to make things better in the Valley, though this is still the same roster that had many believing in the postseason at this time last season with more reinforcements coming.

Free agency needs hits. The draft needs hits. LaFleur needs to really show his capability as a coach, too — but the Cardinals are better than what the national media props them up as.