NFL
Season Outlook:
Is this what rock bottom looks like? The Cards finished 3-14, the franchise’s worst in nearly 60 years. Included in that was a club record nine game losing streak. Unsurprisingly, head coach Jonathan Gannon was fired after three seasons. Former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFluer takes over a roster with a good deal of upside but chock full of deficiencies.
What's Changed:
LaFluer is the Cardinals’ third head coach in five seasons. In order to be in Arizona for a while, he must solve the situation at quarterback. Kyler Murray is gone after seven years. Filling that spot? It’s hard to say right now. Gardner Minshew and third-round draft pick Carson Beck come in to compete with Jacoby Brissett. The Cards are pinning a lot of hopes on the No. 3 overall pick and former Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
Bigger Role & Sophomore Breakout:
McBride is already the engine of this offense after setting the NFL's single-season reception record for a tight end (126 catches, 1,239 yards, 11 touchdowns), and a clean-slate coaching staff figures to lean on him even more. Second-year cornerback Will Johnson looked like a steal in a rookie season cut short by a knee injury — 37 tackles and 10 pass breakups in limited action — and is in line to anchor the secondary opposite Sean Murphy-Bunting.
Key Question: Who will be the starting quarterback?
Who's actually playing quarterback? LaFleur hasn't named a starter between Brissett and Minshew, a remarkable level of uncertainty for a first-year coach installing a brand-new offense. Whoever wins the job needs to get the ball to McBride, a hopefully-healthy Marvin Harrison Jr., and rookie Love fast, or none of it matters.
Prediction:
The only late-season drama is whether or not the Cardinals get the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft. Arizona “wins” the top selection by going 3-14. Without a solid quarterback, receivers like McBride, Harrison Jr., and Wilson see their impact reduced. Without a healthy Love, the offense is compromised further. It doesn’t do them any good that they are set to face some of the league’s top defenses: Rams, Seahawks, Broncos, and Eagles. Arizona’s porous defense, which looks nearly the same as last year, will perform about the same.
X-Factor:
Marvin Harrison Jr. was billed as a generational prospect and looked the part as a rookie (62 catches, 885 yards, 8 touchdowns) before injuries wrecked his follow-up (41 catches, 608 yards in 12 games). He says he's still not fully past the heel issues that plagued him in 2025. A healthy, disciplined Harrison alongside McBride gives Arizona one of the more dangerous one-two punches in the league, even in a lost season.
Final Scorecard:
- Offense: 6
- Defense: 5
- Coaching: 5
- X-Factor Upside: 8
- Schedule Strength: 6