2023 Outlook

The 40-year-old Gannon spent the last two seasons as the Defensive Coordinator in Philadelphia.

The task at hand for the new staff will not be an easy one. According to oddsmakers, Arizona is the longest shot in the NFL to win their division.

While the odds may be long, it seems someone is always going from worst to first in the NFL. In 2021, for example, the Bengals were the team with the longest preseason odds to win their division.

That season the Bengals not only won the AFC North but made it all the way to the Super Bowl—with a core of young players that has become a consistent contender.

An accelerated turnaround of that magnitude would not appear to be in the cards this season for Arizona.

That Cincy team had a rising QB surrounded by plenty of young talent at the skill positions. This season Arizona has plenty of questions.

Offense

And if not, when will he be playing? And does it even matter? When he comes back, what kind of mobility will he have and who will he have to throw the ball to?

Regardless, Murray needs a good season.

The shift from the Air Raid offensive system to a more West Coast offense with a defensive-minded coach might further the development of Murray.

The window on the QB’s career appears to be closing and he needs to produce. If not, the Cardinals may look to April’s draft to find his replacement. (A prospect that may likely happen even with a good season from Murray).

Colt McCoy will likely run the show until Murray returns, but whoever lines up at QB is going to have a tough job, and one that got more difficult with the Cardinals unloading DeAndre Hopkins.

The receiving duties will fall primarily to Zach Pascal, Rondale Moore, Marquise Brown, and rookie Michael Wilson.

Trey McBride has the potential to be a very talented TE in the NFL, but for the offense to make any ground they will need Zach Ertz to return from his ACL injury and still be his former self.

One certainty of this offense is that it will be much more dependent on the run than the prior offense was.

James Conner will get the bulk of the carries. Last season, the Cardinals ranked 22nd in the league with 110.2 rushing yards per game. The offense as a whole averaged just 4.8 yards per play, ranking 29 in the NFL.

The hope is that the addition of Paris Johnson with the Sixth Pick in last April’s Draft will bolster the line.

Defense

Last season, the Eagles ranked second in the league in total defense and led the league with 87.6 more total yards gained per game than allowed.

But this certainly is not the Philly offense, and the defense is not near the level the two worked with in getting to the Super Bowl in 2022.

The Cardinals signed Kyzir White in the offseason, and that was about it on the defensive side. Gone are Zach Allen from the line and Byron Murphy in the secondary. JJ Watt has retired.

Budda Baker got his contract and appears to be all in for the long term but it will be a long season on both sides of the ball for the Cardinals.

The good news is the team is set up nicely for the 2024 draft with a pair of First-Rounders, both theirs and Houston’s.

That could lead to a pair of Top 5 selections—and even a chance that they could end up with the top-two selections in the draft, something that has only happened once before (Indianapolis 1992).

So, the future may not be totally bleak in the desert, but this season does not offer a lot of short-term hope.

The last time the franchise won a league championship was in 1947. That 75-year championship drought stands as the longest among the four major North American professional leagues. And it seems like a safe bet to reach 76.

Don’t expect many wins from the Cardinals this season.