Clock Is Ticking: 3 Things the Arizona Cardinals Must Do Before the 2026 Season

ARIZONA — It's officially a game week for the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals gear up to face the Los Angeles Chargers to begin the regular season, finally pushing the ball near the goal line after a wild offseason that saw plenty of change in the desert.

While general manager Monti Ossenfort made a handful of moves, there's still time to squeeze one or two more in ahead of the regular season.

In no particular order, here's three things the Cardinals should squeeze in before Sunday arrives:

1. Find A Pass Rusher

Maybe I lied about the order, because this just might be at the top of the list.

The Cardinals sat on their hands all through the offseason and chose to fill gaps along the defensive side of the ball instead of making improvements. Had they been a top unit in the league, that'd be fine — though they are largely running it back with the same pass rush that ranked near the bottom of the league.

It'd be unwise to again rely on Josh Sweat to shoulder that workload (as good as he is) though the rest of the outside linebacker room doesn't quite generate excitement and/or confidence to get after the quarterback.

Are there Hall of Fame quality players lurking in the shadow right now who can change the outlook of Arizona's defense? Not quite, though the Cardinals need a boost in their pass rush department.

They're hoping that will come in the form of a healthy Walter Nolen III, which is fair — but counting on the likes of Darius Robinson, Zaven Collins and others to consistently reach the quarterback isn't a winning recipe.

The Cardinals have plenty of cap space available. Go find a veteran on a one-year deal and bolster one of the weakest spots of your team.

2. Extend Paris Johnson Jr.

The longer you stay on the train, the more expensive it is to get home.

Arizona recently inked receiver Michael Wilson to a massive three-year contract, marking the first player drafted by Ossenfort to receive a second contract. Fellow 2023 draft pick Paris Johnson Jr. now waits in the wings.

Johnson seems pretty intent on wanting a high number. The Cardinals are wanting to come in low and aim towards the middle. That's the ups and downs (literally) of the business side of the game.

However, it doesn't feel as if a deal is close, and if you're the Cardinals, that might cost a few extra pennies if they push negotiations back.

The good news? Johnson is under contract through the 2027 season thanks to the team picking up his fifth-year option. Arizona, at minimum, can reenter contract negotiations next offseason.

However, we consistently see massive contracts awarded to players that appear expensive at the time — only for those deals to look like bargains down the line thanks to a constantly growing salary cap ceiling and a league where players are constantly one-upping each other's contract.

Case in point, getting a deal now for Johnson — who is firmly entrenched as your left tackle of the future — might flash dollar signs in the short term, though a few years' worth of other contracts could shrink that seemingly massive contract.

3. Figure Out James Conner's Future

This has been one of the more interesting narratives to follow in the desert.

The Cardinals are currently touting three active running backs on the roster with Jeremiyah Love, Tyler Allgeier and Bam Knight while James Conner and Trey Benson sit on injured reserve.

The writing is on the wall with Benson, who will stay on IR for the duration of the year until he and the Cardinals can come to an injury settlement, which is more likely than not.

As for Conner, his future has been wildly up for debate since the summer, and his landing on injured reserve only pushed those conversations under a temporary rug.

The veteran running back is clearly towards the end of his tenure with the Cardinals — the team made it clear after restructuring his contract ahead of an offseason where Love and Allgeier were both added to the mix.

Conner, who suffered a foot/ankle injury in Week 3 last season, had performed individual drills for the Cardinals during training camp but didn't play in any preseason games. LaFleur — when asked about Conner — says the veteran has earned the right to tell the Cardinals when his body feels ready.

Are the Cardinals going to keep four running backs on their active roster? Will they bring Conner back and risk Bam Knight floating through waivers? Is a flat-out release or maybe even trade on the horizon for one of Arizona's most beloved locker room leaders?

Plenty can change in four weeks, though the Cardinals must decide a path that's best for both Conner and the organization now instead of pushing things back.

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