2 Arizona Cardinals Included, 1 Snubbed in ESPN's Quarter Century Team

Two prime Arizona Cardinals made the exclusive list.

Arizona Cardinals Patrick Peterson laughs after a flag was thrown on him against the Seattle Seahawks in the second half at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN has unveiled what they are calling their "All Quarter Century team" created by Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder. The team is exactly what it sounds like, as they conglomerate an entire 53-man roster including both sides of the ball, special teams, and a coaching staff.

There are also a handful of honorable mentions scattered throughout the roster. It's as special of a roster as you will find, and it certainly lives up to the billing as a so-called "ultimate team."

Nearly all 32 teams found some sort of representation on the list, and the Arizona Cardinals got to see two of their all-time greats make the team.

Two Arizona Cardinals Named to All Quarter Century Team

Despite middling playoff and certainly regular season success, the Cardinals have still fielded some incredible players and more than a handful of Hall of Famers. The roster conglomerated by Schatz and Walder named two legends who will more than likely see their names added to the franchise's Ring of Honor.

But a fair warning, of the two selections, neither includes the player you would feel was guaranteed a spot... more on that later.

Both players representing Arizona came on the defensive side of the ball. The first is the big teddy bear himself, Calais Campbell. His 17-year career started in the desert from 2008 to 2016 before he left to join several teams over the next few seasons. Now, Campbell is back home in what could very well be his final season.

Arizona Cardinals Legend Calais Campbell

Walder spoke on behalf of Campbell's selection and had this to say:

"Though Campbell has had the benefit of a 17-year (and counting!) career, his numbers are truly quite remarkable. He's only one sack shy of passing Donald's career total, while his total plus-EPA ranks fourth among all players and first among interior defenders. Campbell has moved around a lot over his career, but he'd play the 3-technique for this team (that's the position he has played the most since NFL Next Gen Stats tracking data started in 2017)."

He's certainly correct in stating that Campbell's production is remarkable. The Miami product has over 900 tackles and a whopping 110.5 sacks. Even in his late-30s now, Campbell has tallied 22.5 sacks since turning 35-years-old with three different teams (Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins). His last three seasons have each posted no-less than 5.0 sacks, too.

Campbell is joined alongside Aaron Donald and Chris Jones.

The other Cardinals legend honored with a selection to this list is none other than Patrick Peterson.

The former fifth overall pick in 2011 had previously disgraced himself with the fan base, but is being welcomed home after his Hall of Fame career as the two sides begin mending the bridges between them.

Arizona Cardinals Legend Patrick Peterson

Schatz spoke for Peterson and had this as his defense for his inclusion:

"Peterson's career had a long tail, but that shouldn't overshadow his eight-year peak from 2011 to 2018. He was above average in yards allowed per target in each season during the early part of his career, peaking when he allowed a league-leading 4.4 yards per target in 2015. Peterson also tied for eighth (with Sherman) in interceptions during the past 25 seasons."

The LSU product's career was certainly defined by his peak. There should be no arguments against Peterson being one of the league three best cover men between 2013 to 2018. He became one of the most feared cornerbacks in all of football in that time frame and went toe-to-toe with some of the league's greatest ever, including Calvin Johnson.

Peterson's inclusion places him alongside Darrelle Revis, Champ Bailey, Ronde Barber, and Richard Sherman.

For what it's worth, two other former Cardinals named were offensive guard Alan Faneca (2010) and defensive end JJ Watt (2021-2022).

But there is one glaring exception that is puzzling at best: Larry Fitzgerald.

Why Was Larry Fitzgerald Snubbed?

Your reaction should be the same as mine and hopefully the vast majority of NFL fans... What the flip?! (but a different word than "flip").

Fitzgerald retired from the league as its second all-time leader in receptions (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492) to go along with 121 touchdowns, which is the sixth most ever. Fitz was also one of the most prolific postseason receivers ever. He notched 942 yards and 10 touchdowns in just nine games.

His 104.7 yards per game is a league record by nearly 14 yards, and his seven postseason touchdowns during the 2008 Super Bowl run are a single-year record.

11 Pro Bowl selections, three All-Pro nods (one First-Team, two Second-Team), a two-time league leader in receptions and touchdowns, and nine 1,000-yard seasons in 17 years should be more than enough to earn a spot on a list of such prestige.

Instead, Fitzgerald was left outside the six selections: Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison Sr., and Justin Jefferson. Heck, Fitzgerald wasn't made an honorable mention -- those two picks were Antonio Brown and Andre Johnson.

While this isn't to say none of those eight are deserving of the praise they received, I have an incredibly difficult time placing all eight of them above Fitzgerald. To be frank, you could construct a very good argument for him to be above every single one of them.

Alas, that is not the case and thus our breath would be wasted.

Nonetheless, it is refreshing to see the Cardinals honored with any selections in a quarter-century team and their two players are entirely deserving.

It just goes to show that even a team with subpar success can still host all-time greats. The Cardinals managed to do so and can hopefully continue that trend for years to come.