Whenever there’s talk about the Arizona Cardinals heading into the 2025 season, it typically begins with how much improved the defense should be.
That’s the good news. The concern still centers around quarterback Kyler Murray.
The former No. 1 overall pick is entering a pivotal season, needing to prove he’s the player capable of leading the Cardinals back to the playoffs — and worthy of the five-year, $230.5 million extension he signed in 2022.
There’s reason the pressure is mounting. Arizona’s roster is built for Murray to succeed.
MORE: Kyler Murray ripped for failing to lead Cardinals, labeled one of NFL’s most overpaid QBs
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cardinals added key defensive pieces such as defensive tackle Walter Nolen and cornerback Will Johnson, among others, in hopes of fielding a significantly better unit. Offensively, the weapons are already in place — which is why FanSided’s Romell Williams believes “there should be no excuse as to why Murray doesn’t have a career year in 2025.”
“Murray now has the best supporting cast of his career,” Williams wrote. “If Murray doesn’t show progress this year, Arizona may be in the quarterback market again in 2026.”
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Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr spoke on this as well.
“Murray’s dead cap number almost halves after this season,” Orr wrote. “The former No. 1 pick is not a bad quarterback, but the Cardinals will likely conclude that the club has maximized Murray in Arizona and that it’s best to recoup some kind of draft asset before pivoting. Murray had a six-game stretch at the tail end of last season in which he failed to top 100 in quarterback rating, and he has played just one fully healthy season since 2020. While a lot of this is not Murray’s fault and is often the reality of playing for a team bad enough to qualify for the No. 1 pick, Arizona will prepare for larger-scale changes after finishing in the NFC West basement.”
The NFC West could once again be wide open in 2025. If Murray can finally put it all together, Williams believes the Cardinals could be a legitimate sleeper to win the division.
Last year, Arizona briefly held first place in the NFC West in November before losing five of their final seven games.
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