Rings in Arizona?: The Cardinals are in position to win in 2022
At first glance, you may laugh at the thought that an 8-8 team, starting a 5’9’ quarterback who can barely see over his linemen, could make the Super Bowl in two years. However, after a deeper look at their roster, the Cardinals aren’t some mediocre team, but potential 2022 Super Bowl title contenders.
In April 2019, the Cardinals drafted Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2018, as the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Murray performed well, winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. During his 2019 season, though he showed his potential to become a future star, his team failed to make the playoffs with a 6-10 record.
Last March, the Houston Texans traded wide receiver and five-time pro bowler Deandre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals for David Johnson—an old running back—and a second and fourth-round pick in one of the most lopsided NFL trades in history. Since being drafted in 2013, Hopkins has arguably become the best receiver in the NFL. He can catch the ball in almost any situation, an ability he has shown through his incredible sideline catches.
With running backs Kenyon Drake and Chase Edmonds and Murray, the Cardinals have multiple rushing options. As a result, opposing teams found it difficult to determine who would receive the ball on a given rushing play.
The Cardinals also have one of the best wide receivers of all time, 11-time pro bowler Larry Fitzgerald. Though Fitzgerald is 37 years old and near retirement, he has been a reliable second to third option for Murray. The combination of Murray, Hopkins, and Fitzgerald was one of the main reasons why the Cardinals finished as the sixth-best offense in the league.
In 2020, the Cardinals’ defense significantly improved, moving from the last-ranked defense in the previous season to the 15th best defense. Linebacker Budda Baker and Jordan Hicks were the most impactful defensive players, leading the team in tackles with 118 each. Haason Reddick also energized the previously poor defensive team, recording an impressive 12.5 sacks. With many young and developing defensive stars, the Cardinal’s defense will likely continue to improve and even solidify itself as one of the best in the NFL.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury turned the Cardinals from an awful franchise to a future title-contender. Hired in 2019, he runs a pass-focused and air-raid offense, which benefits quarterbacks who typically favor a flexible and aggressive system. Though the multiple option routes and pre-snap changes can be difficult for players to learn, the offense is quite effective once the players learn the playbook. With this offense, Kingsbury has gained a reputation as a “quarterback guru,” who has helped develop players such as reigning Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes, and former Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield. Kingsbury has also taken risks as the Cardinals coach. For example, in 2018, after the departure of Carson Palmer, he drafted Josh Rosen in the first round as the next franchise quarterback. The next year, Kingsbury apparently changed his mind on Rosen, drafting Murray and trading Rosen to the Miami Dolphins. As of now, Kingsbury appeared to make the correct decision: Murray is an emerging young star while Rosen has failed to obtain a starting spot on an NFL roster.
Although many doubt that the Cardinals could be Super Bowl contenders, in two years—with Hopkins well into his prime, a young star in Murray, and supporting pieces including Fitzgerald, Baker, and Hicks—the Cardinals will be Super Bowl-bound.
