Cardinals Have One of NFL's Most Alarming Questions Entering Training Camp

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals invested heavily into the offensive side of the football this offseason, making signings and drafting players predominantly on new head coach Mike LaFleur's side of the offense.

The Cardinals are heavily betting on LaFleur's prowess as an offensive mind to make good on the collective talent, though their bigger bet is Arizona's other side of the ball.

The Cardinals didn't do much to upgrade the defense, instead replacing offseason losses with equal or lesser signings. No splash moves were made, and as defensive coordinator Nick Rallis enters his fourth season with the organization, his unit's under the microscope perhaps more than any other.

The Athletic's Jacob Robinson listed Arizona's defense as one of the most alarming situations in the NFL:

"Cardinals defense any better? Short answer: unlikely. Despite ending the season with an 0-9 stretch that included allowing 35.2 points per game, Arizona spent its offseason investing in offense," wrote Robinson.

"This is the league’s worst team on paper, though at least it has … a fun running back?!"

With the defensive-minded Jonathan Gannon out of the picture, all eyes are on Rallis to see exactly how much will change now that he's got full control of the defense.

Arizona suffered a slew of injuries on the defensive side of the ball last season, though the Cardinals simply weren't up to task. After their Week 8 bye, Arizona allowed 26 or more points in all but two games to finish the season.

Reaching the passer is where the Cardinals lack the most firepower. They ranked near the bottom of team sacks and quarterback pressure in 2025 with little done to eradicate those measurables. Josh Sweat leads a very top-heavy outside linebacker room that offers little production outside of his name.

Kaleb Proctor was a fun addition to the defensive line as a fourth-round pick, though an injury is set to keep him out for a long period of time according to LaFleur, which is a blow to the room despite Roy Lopez and Andrew Billings' arrival via free agency. The Cardinals very much need Walter Nolen to remain healthy while Darius Robinson needs to take the next step with no wiggle room for excuses.

A healthy Mack Wilson Sr. should do wonders for Arizona's inside linebacker room, with the returning Cody Simon and free agent Jack Gibbens competing for the spot opposite of him. Gibbens excels in pass coverage and could at worst be utilized in obvious third-down scenarios. Simon gained crucial experience running/calling the defense in his rookie season.

Arizona welcomes Starling Thomas and Sean Murphy-Bunting back to their cornerback depth chart after both sustained season-ending injuries in 2025. That, on top of present names in Garrett Williams (who could be healthy by Week 1), Will Johnson and Denzel Burke among others should create a fun and competitive room.

The Cardinals did lose the rangy Jalen Thompson in free agency, though they signed Andrew Wingard to help uphold their three-person rotation with Budda Baker and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson likely to start.

The problem is every position group in the Cardinals defense offers a mix of talent and upside, though none of that translated in 2025.

We're about to see if injuries really were the downfall of Arizona's season.

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