Cardinals may be beginning to shift perception around them

Larry Fitzgerald received a bronze bust, a gold jacket and a small slice of football immortality. But the Arizona Cardinals might’ve been the biggest surprise winners of Hall of Fame weekend.

That’s because seven million people watched the game on NBC and Peacock, the biggest number for a Hall of Fame game in five years. It’s a gigantic number for an exhibition game, outpacing every MLB game this season, out-rating every game of the Stanley Cup Finals.

It was also a night when the Cardinals played an enjoyable brand of football, a team that looked surprisingly competent. The debut of Carson Beck was a revelation, a quarterback who exceeded all expectations. The combined effect was a game that shifted national and local perceptions. A game that temporarily ended all the mockery and ridicule the franchise has endured since Week 5 of the 2025 season.

It’s a comforting change, as no self-respecting sports town wants to be consistently embarrassed by its NFL franchise.

“I was proud of them,” Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur told NFL Network after the final practice at State Farm Stadium. “It’s just a good stamp, a reminder that you get what you emphasize. And what we’ve emphasized to them is everything that takes zero talent: how you operate and your play style. And I thought both of those came to life.”

The Cardinals can further this perception shift with a strong performance against the Raiders on Thursday in Las Vegas. Beck will share the field with No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, a glitzy rematch of their quarterback battle in the College Football Playoff title game. Another strong performance from Beck might ignite an actual quarterback controversy in Arizona, alighting hopes that Arizona might’ve received a gift from the football gods, a rookie quarterback potentially good enough to be our future.

Too often, football fans are chained to perception when perceptions are no longer chained to reality. LaFleur firmly believes in excelling at the parts of football that don’t require talent, stuff that can take you a long way in between the lines. He has a tremendous assortment of skill players on offense, including a glut of talented wide receivers.

Get past their appalling 3-14 record, and you remember how the Cardinals were in every game they played for most of the first half in 2025, losing seven of them while leading or tied in the fourth quarter. Or how they lost a span of five games by just 13 points combined. And you wonder if they can be a surprising and winning team in the coming months when the outcomes matter.

Alas, then you remember the highly suspect defense, the dearth of edge rushers and the mysterious saga of Josh Sweat.

Either way, the Cardinals have another great opportunity to turn the tables in Vegas. With another inspiring effort from the team and its rookie quarterback, they will give their fan base the most precious commodity in sports:

Hope.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7. 

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