Arizona Cardinals football is not for the faint of heart. It truly is challenging to be optimistic as a fan of the franchise.
Arizona is in sole possession of the longest continuous championship drought in North American pro sports. This follows decades of making wrong coaching hires, drafting poorly, and ownership not fully committing to building a lasting winner.
There is reason to be optimistic about the future for the Cardinals despite every factor working against the franchise.
This reason is the youth movement going on in Glendale – particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
JP Acosta of CBS Sports echoed this sentiment on Friday, citing “growth from a young core” as a reason for optimism moving forward.
Arizona Offense Worth Being Excited Over
GettyMichael Wilson is entering year three with the Cardinals.
While Arizona is residing in an ultra competitive NFC West division, the offense should excite the fanbase.
Jeremiyah Love is currently fighting through an ankle sprain, but his status as a third overall pick does all the talking. Arizona currently boasts one of the best running back rooms in the entire NFL.
Trey McBride, 26, is potentially the best tight end in the NFL in his fifth season. McBride is coming off of a historic season, recording over 1,200 yards with just two drops in the process (Football Reference). The prospects of the All-Pro improving even more is terrifying for the rest of the NFL.
The most intrigue rests in Arizona’s wide receiver room at the end of the day. Michael Wilson is already establishing himself as a young star, as he is fresh off of a 1,000 yard campaign.
Marvin Harrison Jr. finds himself in the opposite situation. The 2024 fourth overall pick is coming off of two relatively disappointing seasons under OC Drew Petzing. A piece of his struggles include a 4.8% drop rate, and only three career broken tackles (Football Reference).
The hope is that first-year head coach Mike LaFleur will play a role in Harrison’s turnaround. Petzing is well-known for utilizing less motion compared to the rest of the NFL. This is in direct conflict with Harrison Jr.’s strengths. LaFleur is a safe bet to use more pre-snap motion in an effort to create mismatches and to allow Harrison to generate more space than he is already able to.
The bottom line – there’s much to be excited about with the Arizona offense.
Cardinals’ Defense Worthy of Attention
GettyJohnson is entering year two with the Cardinals.
While Arizona’s offense drives much of the optimism, the defense shouldn’t be ignored.
Second-year players in DT Walter Nolan and CB Will Johnson are foundational pieces moving forward. Arizona is also high enough on third-year safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson to feel confident in allowing Jalen Thompson to depart.
Cornerback Garrett Williams is also freshly activated off of the PUP (physically unable to perform) list. The Syracuse alum put together an incredible 2024 season, but struggled in 2025. He is also coming off of an achilles injury, which is obviously challenging to return to form from.
While Arizona isn’t quite as stacked with high-end defensive prospects, there are enough that stand out to make fans feel semi-confident in a bright future.
Arizona Cardinals Have One Reason to be Optimistic About Future