Ron Rivera Reveals Thoughts on Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are just hours away from beginning their 2023 season, and boy - what an offseason it's been.

The organization hit the reset button in a massive way and has a renewed presence from top to bottom. Though the Cardinals aren't expected to be any good this season, the future looks bright thanks to their assortment of draft capital and salary cap space moving forward.

Ahead of their Sunday meeting, Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera was asked about his overall thoughts on the Cardinals:

“I think they're a good young football team. They've got some quality young players in some key spots. I think they've got a good scheme offensively, defensively, and special teams. I think their coaches are guys that have been around success," Rivera said.

"I mean, you know, [Arizona Cardinals Head Coach] Jonathan Gannon coming from Philadelphia being around that group and then coming here and bringing his defense, his style of defense. His defensive coordinator was his linebacker coach. Offensively, the coordinators came from Minnesota through Cleveland to Arizona. So, he has been with [Cleveland Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski] Coach Stefanski and I got a lot of respect for the way Coach Stefanski does things and that running game, that they have. So, you see a lot of those things being emulated there. Every now and then you see something that Philadelphia did on the offensive side. And then special teams, [Arizona Cardinals Special Teams Coordinator Jeff Rodgers] Coach Rogers is a guy that's been in this league a while, so they've got a good coaching staff and as I said, they got a lot of good young, hungry players.

"On the defensive side, [S] Budda Baker, I think is one of the really good safeties in this league, and he's an emotional leader for their defense and for their team, for that matter. So, I think their quarterback situation, I like both their quarterbacks, even though one of 'em is just a rookie. I thought we liked him coming out from Houston. He throws a nice football and then [QB Joshua] Dobbs is a smart athletic quarterback with a good arm, an NFL arm and we saw that in the preseason.

"So, we're not taking this team lightly. This team, you know, they're paid like everybody else. They wanna win. They're coming here to win, so we gotta be on our game.”