Cardinals need a bold offseason after faltering in games that mattered most
Jan 5, 2025, 6:05 PM | Updated: 9:05 pm
Success and progress are not the same thing. Our NFL franchise is Exhibit A.
The 2024 Cardinals made progress, doubling their victory total from the previous season following Sunday’s 47-24 romp over the 49ers. They exceeded expectations on defense; identified a core group of foundational players; and went 6-3 at State Farm Stadium. In the past two years, there has been a significant culture change under the direction of general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon.
But a raucous offensive display in the season finale against a bad football team does not erase the losing record or the memories of a team that shriveled in the season’s defining moments.
Even a third-place finish is more penalty than a reward. By avoiding last place, the Cardinals draw the Packers, Bengals and Cowboys as non-conference opponents in 2025. Meanwhile, the 49ers get a much softer slate (Bears, Browns, Giants).
RELATED STORIES
Success demands more. Success demands better.
Their biggest issue remains at quarterback. Kyler Murray finished his sixth NFL season with a pair of strong performances. He’s played 25 consecutive games since returning from knee surgery. He threw four touchdown passes on Sunday and joined Josh Allen, Russell Wilson and Cam Newton as the only players in NFL history with 19,000+ passing yards and 3,000+ rushing yards in his first six seasons.
That’s an exclusive club.
But he was at his very worst when it mattered the most. Fans have not forgotten or forgiven losses to Geno Smith and Bryce Young or the fastball he threw off Trey McBride’s helmet with the game on the line in Los Angeles. You can trust Murray to play to the end of a lost season, where he compiled 563 passing yards in two games after his team was eliminated. But after all these years on the job, he still glitches under stifling pressure, on the biggest platforms.
There are reasons for optimism moving forward. The NFC West remains wide open. The championship window seems to have closed on the 49ers. The Rams are the newly crowned champions, but Matthew Stafford turns 37 in February. The Seahawks are nothing special.
The NFL offseason is also designed to resuscitate hope in lost markets, and that will surely happen in Arizona. But many Cardinals fans are done with Murray. Some are angry about a spike in ticket prices for a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game in nine years. And there’s a new form of competition for them to deal with, a new winner in town.
Following a magical season that ended in the College Football Playoff, Arizona State has sold over 3,100 season tickets in just over 30 days. They sold 300 the day after their epic loss to Texas in the Peach Bowl. The Sun Devils are an exciting alternative for fans who are examining their loyalty and their spending habits.
The Cardinals need bold reinforcements and an infusion of high-end talent. They need to get aggressive in free agency. No more baby steps. They must sign a veteran backup quarterback and have a succession plan should Murray fail to lead a postseason run in 2025.
It’s time to put up or shut up. It’s time to spend big and win big in 2025. Or else.
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
