One NFL power ranking gave the Arizona Cardinals a painful reminder. And it had nothing to do with where the Cardinals clocked in.
ESPN listed the “best offseason addition” in its latest power ranking. Two additions listed were former prominent members of the Cardinals.
Former Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Makes The Cut
Rob Demovsky listed Jonathan Gannon for the 15th-ranked Green Bay Packers. Demovsky noted that under Gannon, the Packers “…lead the NFL in forced turnovers (13) and interceptions (nine).”
Cardinals fans will remember Gannon for missing the playoffs in his three seasons as the coach. He finished with a 15-36 record, and the Cardinals only looked competitive at midseason in 2024 when they went into their bye week holding a 6-4 record.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they went 2-5 the rest of the way and finished 8-9. It was a four-game improvement from the 2023 season, when the Cardinals were young and inexperienced. But that 2023 team had a knack for pulling off upsets that included wins against the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Philadelphia Eagles.
2024 gave the Cardinals plenty of optimism, but they fell to 3-14 and fired Gannon after the season. Now that he is back in his former role as a defensive coordinator, Gannon has the Packers ranked 12th in total yards allowed among the 22 teams that have played in seven games this season.
Kyler Murray Was Picked As The Vikings’ Top Addition
The Minnesota Vikings clocked in at number three on the list, and Kevin Seifert recognized Kyler Murray. Per Seifert, “His QBR since Week 5 (75.1) ranks sixth in the NFL…”
Murray will go down as one of the biggest disappointments in Arizona Cardinals history. Across his seven seasons in the desert, Murray may have won the 2019 Rookie of the Year honors and snagged multiple Pro Bowls.
But he only led the Cardinals to one winning season and two seasons when they clocked in with a .500 record or better. Murray missed most of 2025 and a significant portion of 2023 because of injuries. He was also part of Cardinals teams that finished fourth in the NFC West in four separate seasons.
He led the Cardinals to just one playoff game (no postseason wins) and never won a division championship in Arizona.
It Is Not All Bad News For The Cardinals
Gannon and Murray might have been selected as the “best offseason addition” to their respective teams. But that doesn’t tell the entire story.
Gannon is part of a team that has had just one losing season since Matt LaFleur took over as head coach in 2019. His Packers are also in fourth place in the NFC North after seven games, so the entire team has ground to make up.
As for Murray, he is playing for a team whose defense is shaping up to be one of the best in NFL history. The Vikings have allowed 74 points through six games, or 12.3 points per game. That is 209 points allowed across a 17-game pace if Minnesota keeps this up.
The Vikings’ offense also accumulated the lowest total yards in the league with 1,690, and just 974 passing yards. While Murray may have stabilized the position, it is a question of whether he has made a true impact so far in Minnesota or if he is the product of a team with a championship-caliber defense.
While the news of Gannon and Murray gaining recognition may hurt for the Arizona Cardinals and their fans, it’s worth remembering that neither Gannon nor Murray has been a dynamic game-changer. Both have been solid, but in short, it was still better for the Cardinals to move on.
Arizona Cardinals Get Uncomfortable Reminder in ESPN’s Power Rankings