Darius Robinson enters his third season in Arizona with a clear-eyed view of what has to happen next.
The Cardinals defensive end has already lived through two very different pro years. His rookie season barely got off the ground, with injury limiting him to six games. Last year brought more opportunity, and Robinson made the most of it in stretches, starting 12 games and finishing with 15 solo tackles, 28 assists, four tackles for loss, and his first NFL sack in Week 4 against Seattle.
Still, the bigger picture has been hard to ignore. Arizona went 3-14, dropped seven games by narrow margins across the 2025 season, and Robinson didn’t hit the personal goals he set for himself. That combination has sharpened his focus heading into Year 3.
“Really good players think about ‘how can I affect the game and win the game for my team,” Robinson told reporters.
“Heading into my third year is just knowing what I'm good at, what I'm not good at - what I'm not good at, I gotta pour into that bucket as fast as I can, and what I'm good at, keep pouring as well, so I can be the player that I want to be to help this team.”
One of the biggest helps for Robinson this offseason is continuity. Jonathan Gannon is out as head coach, with Mike LaFleur taking over, but Nick Rallis remains in place as defensive coordinator. For Robinson, that matters.
“It’s my third year in our defense. During OTAs, I didn't really think about anything, I just played,” Robinson said. “I feel like that's going to be a big help for me this year, and just familiarity with the calls and everything.”
Arizona also added a new voice to the defensive staff in February, hiring former Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. After 40 years in the college game, Kwiatkowski is making his first professional stop and will work with Robinson and the rest of the defensive line.
His résumé is a strong one. At Texas, Kwiatkowski helped build some of the nation’s top defenses, including a unit that finished third in scoring defense in the FBS in 2024. He also coached two defensive tackles now in the NFL, Philadelphia’s Moro Ojomo and Seattle’s Byron Murphy II.
Robinson believes the next step is simple: consistency. He still has one more year left on his rookie contract after this season, but he’s not spending much time dwelling on the pressure.
“I know I can do it. It's just, ‘can you be consistent?
Can you impact the game, impact the team?’” Robinson said.
“I played at Missouri [for] five years. I got better and better each year in college, so that's the same way I envision it now in the league.”
There were signs late last season that the arrow is pointing up. Robinson finished with his best three-game stretch of his young career, piling up 16 total tackles, two tackles for a loss, and a fumble recovery.
He’s spent the offseason trying to turn those flashes into something more dependable, studying his tape closely and sharpening his pass-rush work and hand usage.
“Watching the tape with a magnifying glass and realize, ‘okay, I’m still not getting this, or it’s still not the level where it needs to be at.’” Robinson said. “[I’ve been] working more past rush in the offseason, using my hands like all the different things to help me get the results I want, but it was all things that I can learn and grow from.”
The Cardinals are set to report to training camp on July 22 and will work through August 9 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
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