The Arizona Cardinals are finally at the point where the roster chatter stops mattering and the real answers start showing up on the field.
With the regular season here and the Mike LaFLeur era beginning, four decisions stand out as the ones that could steer everything that comes next for Arizona in 2026. Some are about upside.
Some are about survival. All of them matter.
The quarterback situation sits right at the center of it all. Beck is not the Week 1 starter, and after appearing in just one preseason game because of injuries, there’s no guarantee Arizona sees the rookie again anytime soon.
Still, his presence changes the room. Beck’s status will go a long way toward shaping what the Cardinals can do in next year’s quarterback market, which is why getting him on the field at some point this regular season feels almost necessary for the organization.
That also means Jacoby Brissett’s margin for error is a little tighter with Beck waiting behind him. The quarterback room, in other words, is nowhere near settled, and Beck could eventually push Arizona into a change during the season.
Arizona also added a major new weapon to the backfield, and that move could change the shape of the offense fast. Love gives the Cardinals a true playmaking jolt and raises the ceiling of the unit in a way that could put them near the top of the league in terms of potential.
He can create damage as a runner and as a receiver, and he’s not the usual back who just handles handoffs. He can do almost anything a skill player is asked to do.
If he delivers on the hype, Arizona’s offense gets better in a hurry, and the Cardinals may be able to keep pace in games that used to get away from them.
On the other side of the ball, though, there’s still a glaring problem staring them in the face. Arizona chose to revamp its rushing attack while leaving the edge group untouched, and that decision keeps the pressure on a pass rush that was already near the bottom of the league last season in sacks and pressures.
Josh Sweat is a strong piece, but the rest of the room leaves plenty to be desired. That makes the Cardinals look shaky again defensively, and the need for another real pass rusher remains obvious.
Up front, the Cardinals are also taking a gamble on the right side of the offensive line. They tried to address right guard with second-round pick Chase Bisontis, but the bigger bet is Elijah Wilkinson at right tackle.
That spot could become a problem quickly. Wilkinson allowed 46 pressures and six sacks last season, both numbers that stood at the top of Atlanta’s offensive line, and he also drew 12 penalties.
That kind of production won’t cut it in Arizona, and if he doesn’t make the most of this fresh start, the Cardinals’ right side could be a weekly issue early and often.
In Other News...
Cardinals Camp Battles Ended With A Few Week 1 Surprises
Arizonas roster is set, and with it came a few camp decisions that reshaped the way this team will look in Week 1. Bam Knight earned a place in the running back mix, while the Cardinals also chose to keep seven wide receivers, a group that includes Jalen Brooks and Simi Fehoko. Those kinds of depth-chart calls usually settle the room by the time the regular season arrives, but in this case they also showed how closely the staff weighed the final few spots.
The biggest wrinkle came on defense, where D.J. Taylor-Demerson did not hold onto the starting safety job after Jordan Poyer arrived as a free agent. The Cardinals also sound willing to stay flexible at linebacker and in the secondary, using those groups based on matchups and game plans rather than locking into one static look. That kind of week-to-week approach can help a defense stay adaptable, but it also means the first few games could tell us a lot about how settled these new roles really are. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Fans Have One Big Reason To Doubt Monti Ossenfort
The Cardinals are heading into the season with little outside optimism, and it is not hard to see why. FanDuel Sportsbook has them as 9.5-point underdogs in their opener, and the betting market also gives Arizona the worst playoff odds, a reminder of how far the roster still has to climb after only 15 wins over the past three years.
That backdrop is making the scrutiny on Monti Ossenfort even sharper. Fans surveyed were underwhelmed by the general managers draft work, and the concern stretches beyond the present with the 2026 class already carrying a red flag after Arizona will be without two top picks for that season. For a team trying to reset its trajectory, the lack of confidence around the front office is becoming part of the story, too. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Opener Suddenly Rests On One Huge Rookie Question
The Cardinals have spent the early part of camp trying to figure out how to steady the offense around Jeremiyah Love, and the bigger concern now is simply whether their third overall pick will be available when the games start to count. Love has been sidelined since suffering a high ankle sprain in preseason, and while he has not played since, head coach Mike LaFleur said there has been reason for optimism after seeing the rookie moving around in practice.
Arizona still has to wait for the official injury report on Wednesday, and the opener against the Los Angeles Chargers may come down to the wire. Love is shaping up as a game-time decision, which leaves the Cardinals balancing patience with urgency as they keep one eye on the long view and another on how much they can realistically ask from a rookie who has missed so much recent work. [Read more 🡒]