The Good, Bad and Ugly of the Arizona Cardinals Free Agency (So Far)

The Arizona Cardinals' first wave of free agency frenzy is in the books, and there's a lot to be said about what the organization did — and didn't — accomplish thus far.

No team is perfect and without blemishes on the roster. That goes for the Cardinals, who find themselves in an intriguing spot with a first-year head coach and a general manager who could be entering his final season if the cards don't shuffle in his favor. Pun was definitely intended.

Rating the good, bad and ugly of Arizona's free agency thus far:

The Good: Fixing The Run Game

Isaac Seumalo, Arizona Cardinal — Arizona Cardinals newly signed free agent Isaac Seumalo speaks to the press at the Arizona Cardinals training facility in Tempe, on March 11, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cardinals took a massive step back in 2025 in nearly every facet, though their rushing attack clearly belonged on the back of a milk carton.

Exactly why can't be pinpointed to just one reason. OL coach Klayton Adams left, OC Drew Petzing couldn't adjust and a blend of poor play and injuries to the offensive line and running back room forced the Cardinals to adap to a more pass-friendly approach.

The league's second-worst rushing attack last season got solid upgrades in running back Tyler Allgeier and offensive guard Isaac Seumalo. Allgeier will form a fun 1-2 punch with James Conner while Seumalo will solidify the left side of the line next to Paris Johnson Jr. in 2026.

Also, depth players with starting experience in Matt Pryor and Elijah Wilkinson were added up front. At worst, that should provide some competition in training camp on the right side of the line.

Under new play-caller Mike LaFleur, who helped reform the Rams' rushing attack upon revival, there's hope Arizona can return to something they did extremely well two years ago.

While there's still work to be done, this free agency period was a good step in the right direction.

The Bad: Pass Rush Didn't Get Better

Dec 7, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker Josh Sweat (10) against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Let's check in on Arizona's top two sack leaders from last year in Josh Sweat and Calais Campbell:

Sweat reportedly has trade buzz around his name. His 12 sacks last season led the Cardinals, far and away. It's not currently known if he's upset/disgruntled, though it's reasonable to believe he wasn't happy with Jonathan Gannon being fired.

Campbell, the next sack leader at nearly 50% less at 6.5 last season, is a free agent at this point in time. If he doesn't retire, fans wouldn't blame him for bypassing another year in the desert to chase one last shot at a Super Bowl ring.

No outside linebacker adds opposite of Sweat were made. The three outside linebackers on the opposite end of the defense (Baron Browning, Zaven Collins and Jordan Burch) combined for just 4.5 sacks last year.

The Cardinals brought back Roy Lopez, re-signed L.J. Collier and welcomed Jonah Williams (not the one you're thinking of) and Andrew Billings to the party this offseason. While veteran depth was added, substansial pass rush prowess was not.

Arizona does own picks 3 and 34 in the coming draft, so perhaps premium talent will make its way to the desert. Yet for free agency, a team that finished as the fourth-worst defense in terms of sacks and pressure percentage last year didn't come close to upgrading itself.

The Ugly: The QB Plan

Green Bay Packers QB Malik Willi — Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) throws during the third quarter of their game against the Baltimore Ravens Saturday, December 27, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I want to be very clear before I dive into this: I was not for signing Malik Willis. I believed the Cardinals' ultimate goals for the next 365 days and their current trajectory made Jacoby Brissett a fine quarterback given his contract — which has just one season left on it.

This isn't directed towards Brissett, but more so at the Cardinals' execution for their overall fumbling of their quarterback plans this free agent period alone.

Not wanting to pay Willis $30+ million per season was very reasonable. On that same note, actively pursuing Willis to only fall short against the cash-strapped Miami Dolphins (who had to find change in their couch cushions to part ways with Tua Tagovailoa) isn't a good look.

Especially when the Cardinals were priced out by Miami, who actually got a fairly team-favorable deal on Willis. The deal is essentially a two-year prove-it deal, though the $45 million guaranteed through its actual three years is probably something Arizona shook their head at.

Fine, but then turning to backup plan Jimmy Garoppolo and having those contract talks falter isn't exactly a great look either. Garoppolo would have made a ton of sense thanks to his prior work under LaFleur. Why those contract talks broke down hasn't been made public, though you'd have to imagine money wasn't an issue.

The Cardinals ultimately were forced to settle on Gardner Minshew, who inked a one-year deal that has $5.1 million guaranteed as a backup. For those curious, Minshew was coming off a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs last season in a similar role.

The plan with Brissett is whatever, but the execution of their offseason at football's most important position was a massive swing and miss at the plate.