It looked like the Arizona Cardinals might have a playoff run in the tank last season, but the 2021 season ended in a 34-11 loss to the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round.
The Cardinals didn’t make much of a splash in the offseason, but focused on keeping their roster intact — and signing quarterback Kyler Murray to a $230.5 million deal.
Training camp location: Glendale, Arizona
State Farm Stadium
Rookie report date: July 21
Veteran report date: July 26
Key acquisitions: WR Marquise Brown, CB Jeff Gladney, LB Nick Vigil, TE Stephen Anderson, RB Darrel Williams
Key losses: LB Jordan Hicks, DL Jordan Phillips, WR Christian Kirk, RB Chase Edmonds, DE Chandler Jones, OL Max Garcia, CB Malcolm Butler, CB Robert Alford
After losing Christian Kirk, the Cardinals were able to bring in a receiver who might be an even better fit in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense in Marquise Brown. Brown might have a chance to shine after Lamar Jackson’s scramble-first mentality limited his production in Baltimore. Kyler Murray is obviously great out of the pocket as well, but had 99 more pass attempts than Jackson last season. Darrel Williams is also a nice get for an offense that lost Chase Edmonds.
Losing edge rusher Chandler Jones hurts on paper, but he is 32 years old and wanted a rich payday on the back end of his career. The Cardinals are still going to be in the playoff mix in the loaded NFC West, but they really didn’t make any moves that gave them a significant push in the right direction.
–WEEK 1 IN FOCUS
Chiefs at Cardinals 4:25 p.m.
Line: Chiefs -3 (FanDuel)
Total: 52.5
It’s a tough Week 1 matchup for the Cardinals, and their secondary will likely get torn up by Patrick Mahomes. Even without Tyreek Hill, Kansas City’s offense is still going to be a high-powered machine, and it’s hard to imagine that Arizona is up for the challenge right out of the gate.
–GET READY FOR KYLER
It’ll be the first time Kyler Murray has DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Zach Ertz, A.J. Green and James Connor together for a full season. He’s great on his feet as well, so if you’re feeling bold, take him to win Offensive Player of the Year at +3000 (FanDuel). It’s certainly a risky bet ($100 bet would net $3000 profit), but could look even better if Hopkins can get his six-game suspension reduced.
–Field Level Media
