With the NFL’s 2026 trade deadline just hours away, the Arizona Cardinals look more like a team preparing to move pieces than one ready to chase a late-season push.
That’s the backdrop after Arizona dealt Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jacoby Brissett, leaving a 3-6 team with plenty of noise around it and a few big names still in play before the 2:00 pm MST cutoff. What the Cardinals do next comes down to a handful of questions that could shape the rest of their season.
The biggest one starts at the top: what does Monti Ossenfort do with his own future in mind?
A general manager is always supposed to make the move that best helps the team, but that calculation changes when the person making it may not be around much longer. Ossenfort’s job security hangs over the deadline, and that creates a very different kind of pressure. If the choice is between adding draft capital for later or holding onto talent to try to win now, that tension sits right at the center of Arizona’s decision-making.
The Cardinals also have to decide how much they believe in the rest of this season. From the outside, it’s easy to call for a full sell-off.
And if the return is right, Arizona probably should listen on some of its biggest names. But the injuries the team has already absorbed complicate that picture.
Stripping away even more talent after all that would hit players and coaches who are still fighting for their jobs.
That’s why the question of whether Arizona is willing to fully punt on 2026 matters so much.
Budda Baker is one of the most interesting names in the mix. Players don’t often get to shape their own deadline fate, but Baker’s standing makes this different.
He has earned real respect for staying with the Cardinals through difficult years while continuing to play at a high level at safety. According to the source reporting, Baker is open to a trade, but he’d also be fine staying in Arizona.
There are teams that would make sense as a landing spot for a playoff run, but this one feels like it may come down to what Baker wants.
Josh Sweat is another name to watch, and his market may never be better than it is right now. He’s another year older next offseason, and the final two seasons of his contract, 2027-28, will bring guaranteed money questions.
Add in knee concerns, and the Cardinals could be looking at a window where his value is as high as it gets. Arizona reportedly has a Day 2 pick in mind, and if a team is willing to meet that price with a second- or third-rounder, a deal could happen.
If not, the Cardinals can keep their top pass rusher.
There’s also the larger question of what Arizona wants to do with its draft capital. The Cardinals enter deadline day with six picks in the first four rounds, which gives them room to maneuver if they want to address needs.
But with a 3-6 record, it’s fair to wonder how eager they are to spend those assets. A smaller move could still make sense if it helps now and later, especially at a spot like receiver.
A major swing for someone like Brian Thomas Jr. does not appear to be in the cards. Unless an obviously strong offer lands in front of them, Arizona doesn’t seem likely to make a big buying move.
Still, an under-the-radar addition remains possible if the price lines up and the fit is right. The Cardinals need help, but they also have to decide how much of their future they want to spend on it.
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Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that there is interest in Baker, and the Cardinals now find themselves in the familiar spot of having to weigh present value against future flexibility. Whether Arizona is actually open to moving him is still unclear, and with other teams potentially circling, this is the kind of deadline storyline that can shift quickly if the right offer comes along. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger question is which direction Arizona wants to lean, because the list of possibilities also includes a quarterback option, a reminder that the deadline can be as much about insurance as it is about ambition. The Cardinals have not played themselves out of the conversation, but they also have not earned the luxury of standing pat if they believe one addition could help stabilize the roster and keep the season from slipping further away. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Have A QB Depth Problem Behind Carson Beck
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What makes the addition notable is the commitment that comes with it. Under NFL rules, Arizona has to keep Aguilar on the active roster for at least three weeks, so this is more than a temporary shuffle. For a team trying to stay organized at the games most important position, the Cardinals are now carrying a depth decision that will linger for a bit. [Read more 🡒]