The Arizona Cardinals had some great moments in the 2024 season. They fell into a familiar pattern. Arizona started off the year in promising fashion before fading down the stretch and missing the playoffs. The Cardinals are in a tough spot. They have good pieces but need to make sure they can keep building to avoid consistently finishing in the middle of the pack. The past two drafts have been successful, as they have picked cornerstone pieces for their franchise. Here are the three most important questions for the Cardinals this offseason.
1. Does Kyler Murray Have Another Gear?
The Arizona Cardinals took Kyler Murray with the number one overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He has only led the team to one winning season (2021). Murray hasn’t been a complete bust. He’s had some jaw-dropping highlights and led some high-octane offenses. However, he cannot seem to put it all together for an entire season. The 2024 season highlighted this tendency. He threw for 3,851 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Those aren’t bad stats but they also aren’t enough to lead a serious contender in the NFL.
Next year will be Murray’s seventh year in the NFL. While he has missed some significant time due to an ACL injury, he needs to be better if the Arizona Cardinals are going to make a playoff push. They’ve invested around him. Paris Johnson Jr. has been a solid tackle. Trey McBride is one of the top tight ends in the game. Marvin Harrison Jr. is a true number-one receiver. Murray has to play better. If he has another gear to his game, this offseason is the time to find it.
2. Will People Realize Marvin Harrison Jr. Is Actually Good?
Harrison Jr. was a victim of the hype machine. He was billed as a generational, can’t-miss prospect. The former Ohio State receiver didn’t dominate in the way many thought. Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. had historically great seasons and it has left many wondering whether the Arizona Cardinals made a mistake. I’m here to say they didn’t. This offseason, people need to realize Harrison Jr. actually had a good season. He caught 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. For a rookie, this is a solid season!
Franchise legend Larry Fitzgerald had 58 receptions and 780 yards as a rookie. Harrison Jr. surpassed that and is only eclipsed by Anquan Boldin, who had a whopping 1,377 yards in his rookie campaign. All three of these players had eight touchdown catches in their first season. The expectations were sky-high, and he didn’t live up to those. However, many fans believe he had a bad season and should be considered a bust. If you are a fan of the Arizona Cardinals, you should be very happy with what you saw out of the rookie receiver in 2024.
3. Can The Arizona Cardinals Get Some Stars On Defense?
The offense has star power at key positions. The same cannot be said about the defense. Head coach Jonathan Gannon has done well to make the best out of the talent he does have, but this offseason should be about improving the defensive side of the ball. A great way to help the offense is to take pressure off of the unit. The first priority is the pass rush. As a team, they only had 41 total sacks. The leader on the team was linebacker Zaven Collins with 5.0. Aidan Hutchinson had more sacks (7.5) than everyone on the Arizona Cardinals, and he only played in five games.
They need to find an elite edge rusher. The good news is this draft class is deep, and they should be able to find one with their first-round pick if they so choose. Arizona could also use an upgrade in the cornerback room. This is a premium position, and with the glut of wide receiver talent in the NFL, it is helpful to have a shutdown corner. This unit isn’t bad. However, they need a talent infusion if they are going to take a meaningful step forward in 2025.
Final Thoughts
There will be some pressure on the Arizona Cardinals in 2025. The front office has invested many resources into the team, and it is time to show results. The other teams in their division are aging or in the process of entering a new phase. Next year might be the perfect storm for the Cardinals to take the division crown. Can they make the right moves in order to do so?
