2026 NFL Season Preview: Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals



2026 NFL Season Preview:

Veteran Additions:
QB Gardner Minshew, RB Tyler Allgeier, WR Kendrick Bourne, WR Devin Duvernay, OT Elijah Wilkinson, OT Oli Udoh, G Isaac Seumalo, DT Roy Lopez, DT Andrew Billings, ILB Jack Gibbens, S Andrew Wingard.
Early Draft Picks:
RB Jeremiyah Love, OT/G Chase Bisontis, QB Carson Beck, DE Kaleb Proctor. Cardinals Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
QB Kyler Murray, RB Emari Demarcado, WR Greg Dulcich, OT Jonah Williams, OT Kelvin Beachum, G Evan Brown, DT Calais Campbell, DT Dalvin Tomlinson, S Jalen Thompson.

2026 Arizona Cardinals Offense:
The Kyler Murray era is officially over. Jacoby Brissett replaced an injured Murray last year, and Arizona had no intention of going back to the former No. 1 overall pick, even when he was ready for action. Murray is now in Minnesota, and the Cardinals will move on with the trio of Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and Carson Beck. Brissett was expected to be the starter, but he’s currently holding out and may lose his job if he’s out of practice for too long. Minshew is a seasoned veteran who may steal his job, but the coaching staff may want to get a look at third-round rookie Beck to determine if they need to select a quarterback atop the 2027 NFL Draft (check out the 2027 NFL Mock Draft for more.)

If someone other than Brissett starts at quarterback, the Cardinals will have a brand-new backfield because first-round rookie Jeremiyah Love will be the team’s new featured running back. Love is an incredible talent, though critics were skeptical of Arizona’s decision to draft him for a variety of reasons, one of which was that the Cardinals already spent plenty of money on Tyler Allgeier in free agency. Allgeier isn’t a great running back, but he’s a solid, physical back who will be a thorn in the side of Love fantasy owners, much like he was for Bijan Robinson owners when he was in Atlanta. James Conner is still on the roster as well, and the Cardinals will likely lean on his pass-game expertise on third downs.

The Cardinals are hoping Love delivers better results than the previous offensive playmaker they selected in the top five. That would be Marvin Harrison Jr., who has been an extreme disappointment in his career thus far. Harrison, who has had trouble separating from NFL cornerbacks, can’t even blame the quarterback play because Brissett posted some terrific stats last year when throwing to Michael Wilson and Trey McBride. Kendrick Bourne, who had some big performances last year when paired with Mac Jones in San Francisco, will serve as the No. 3 receiver. It seems likely that Wilson and McBride will be Arizona’s top-producing pass-catchers, though McBride’s touchdown total could drop this season if Brissett isn’t starting.

Everyone’s touchdown total will drop if Arizona’s offensive line can’t function properly, which would explain why the front office signed Isaac Seumalo this offseason. Guard was a major weak spot for the Cardinals last year, so Seumalo will serve as a huge upgrade next to Paris Johnson Jr., who is coming off a great season. Johnson was chosen sixth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft and has become one of the better left tackles in the NFL. With the solid Hjalte Froholdt at center, the Cardinals have an outstanding left side of the offensive line.

The right side is where things fall apart, however. The Cardinals didn’t have a single right tackle on their roster until they signed a couple of free agents. The better of the two, Elijah Wilkinson, is just a pedestrian journeyman. It was shocking that Arizona didn’t directly address this situation in the 2026 NFL Draft, though it’s possible that second-round guard Chase Bisontis could move to right tackle. If he does, 2024 third-rounder Isaiah Adams would start. Adams had some bright moments last year, albeit in limited action.



2026 Arizona Cardinals Defense:
The Cardinals tied for the worst record in the NFL last year, but their offense was productive in many games. The reason why Arizona won just thrice was its putrid defense, which surrendered 37 or more points on six occasions in the second half of the season.

Major upgrades were needed across the defense, but the Cardinals added just one new projected defensive starter this offseason. That would be nose tackle Roy Lopez, who is a quality run stuffer. Lopez will be flanked by two former first-round picks, Walter Nolen and Darius Robinson. Nolen, chosen in the opening round last year, looked terrific, but injuries limited him to just six games. Robinson, conversely, has been a major bust. Perhaps fourth-round rookie Kaleb Proctor will challenge him for snaps. Regardless, there will be big shoes to fill with Calais Campbell no longer on the team.

Campbell was just one of two Cardinals to notch more than a pair of sacks last year. Josh Sweat was the other; the former Eagle recorded 12 sacks in his first season in Arizona. The Cardinals will need one of their other edge rushers to apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but Zaven Collins has been a disappointment in that regard as a former first-round pick. Baron Browning had flashed a bit of potential in the past, but he’s largely been a subpar player.

It seems likely that the Cardinals will once again have problems pressuring the quarterback outside of Sweat, which will continue to expose an underwhelming secondary. Will Johnson has potential as a recent second-round pick, but he has an extensive injury history. The other starter on the outside is 2025 fifth-rounder Denzel Burke, who struggled in some starts as a rookie. Garrett Williams, who has been inconsistent in the NFL, will continue to serve as the team’s slot corner.

The Cardinals may be in better shape at safety. Budda Baker is known as one of the better safeties in the NFL, but he’s coming off his worst year as a pro. At 30, Baker may never be the same player, but there’s also a good chance that he’ll rebound. The other starter from last year, Jalen Thompson, is now with the Cowboys, so the Cardinals will have to turn to 2024 fourth-rounder Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, who had some underwhelming starts as a rookie.

Rounding out the defense, Arizona will continue to deploy Mack Wilson and Cody Simon. Neither is a great player by any means, but the Cardinals were far worse once Wilson was ruled out for the second half of the season with a punctured lung.



2026 Arizona Cardinals Schedule and Intangibles:
Something that was apparent during Arizona’s run to the Super Bowl in 2008 was the home-field advantage the team unceremoniously established. They did not maintain that with Kyler Murray. Arizona was 21-28-1 as a host in the Murray era.

Matt Prater is gone. He has been replaced by Chad Ryland, who went just 25-of-33 in 2025. He was a solid 6-of-10 from 50-plus, but was just 7-of-10 from 40-49.

Punter Blake Gillikin finished No. 1 in net punting last year, but was limited to just five games because of injury.

The Cardinals are the only team in the NFL that has to battle the Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers twice each, so their schedule is automatically difficult this year. Arizona also has to take on the Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, Eagles, and Lions.



2026 Arizona Cardinals Rookies:
Go here for the Cardinals Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.



2026 Arizona Cardinals Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):

Quarterbacks		Offensive Line		Secondary
Running Backs		Defensive Line		Special Teams
Receivers		Linebackers		Coaching

--Offseason Reports Lander-- Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Las Vegas Raiders Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers Seattle Seahawks San Francisco 49ers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

2026 NFL Mock Draft | 2027 NFL Mock Draft

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2027 NFL Mock Draft - June 16


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