A week into Arizona Cardinals practices, the early returns have been more encouraging than alarming - even if the big question hanging over everything still doesn’t have an answer.
Will any of this translate into wins in 2026? That part remains a mystery.
The Cardinals are leaning on a first-time head coach, a young defensive coordinator who has struggled, an offensive coordinator who doesn’t have much respect around the league, and a veteran quarterback who is 20-45 as a starter. That’s the backdrop.
Still, there have been reasons to watch closely, especially on offense. The passing game has been opened up quite a bit in practice, and LaFleur’s schemes have stood out. That should sound familiar to anyone who saw what Sean McVay’s Rams offense did to the Nick Rallis Cardinals defense last year.
The biggest camp storyline so far has been Jacoby Brissett. The veteran has been uneven, which is not exactly shocking, but there are real issues that need to get cleaned up before September 13th, which may feel distant but is actually right around the corner.
The rust was expected. This was basically his first full practice, and the next few days brought a mix of good and bad. Then Wednesday arrived, and there were more detailed observations from people on the ground, including JaguarGator9 and another source who was texting throughout the day.
The penalty problems are on JB. That’s the reality.
After being away from everything and now dealing with cadence changes, there are going to be some rough patches. It’s not surprising, but it is part of the cost of holding out the whole season.
The missed throws are not a shock either, though the deep misses have raised more concern. The explanation, according to what has been relayed, is physical condition.
Brissett’s legs are dead, he looks a little ballooned, and he’s not moving well right now. That’s being tied to this offseason, or maybe the lack of one.
There is optimism elsewhere, too. The MHJ “hate” is being dismissed as overblown, with the expectation that he’ll have a productive year. The plan with Love is also being viewed as smart: see what the offensive line looks like and let Allgeier be the one who finds out early.
For now, the Brissett situation is what it is. The hope is that he gets into shape and the work starts to clean up the presnap issues showing up right now.
And beyond that? This week has mostly been unexceptional. In training camp, that can be a good thing.
In Other News...
Cardinals Fans Will Love How Mike LaFleur Is Changing Camp
Mike LaFleur is already putting his stamp on Cardinals camp in a way players and coaches can feel right away. The head coach has folded instant replay screens into the practice routine, using the big board at State Farm Stadium during early camp and smaller screens at the Tempe facility, a setup he said he had seen work before with the Rams.
For Arizona, the appeal is simple: coaches can correct mistakes on the spot, especially up front, and the whole operation moves faster once practice ends. LaFleur also made it clear he likes how the screens sharpen the teaching process, even if he could not resist a little jab about wanting even more display space at the teams practice sites. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Burch Is Suddenly Carrying Real Breakout Buzz In Arizona
Jordan Burch arrived in the NFL with real pedigree after a productive college career and a third-round selection last year, and the Cardinals kept him on the field for all 17 games as a rookie. The production did not match the draft slot, but Arizona never seemed to view that first season as the final word on what the edge rusher could become.
Now, during training camp, the tone around Burch has shifted from patience to possibility. Coaches Nick Rallis and Mike LaFleur have both pointed to his work ethic and steady progress, with the staff encouraged by the way he is developing in multiple parts of his game. The bigger question is whether that buzz turns into the kind of second-year jump the Cardinals think is there, and whether Burch can start turning all that promise into the impact they have been waiting for. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cardinals Star DeAndre Hopkins Appears Headed For A Shocking Next Step
DeAndre Hopkins has spent the past few weeks sounding like a player trying to decide what comes next, and the answer may be moving closer to the sideline than the huddle. The former Cardinals receiver, now an unrestricted free agent, recently showed up at the start of Patriots training camp practices to explore coaching or scouting opportunities, a sign that his post-playing options are becoming more serious even as he keeps insisting he still has something left to offer on the field.
Hopkins has said he still believes he can play, describing himself more as a third-down specialist at this stage of his career, which is why the next step feels so unusual. For Arizona fans who remember the big 2020 trade that brought him in from Houston before the Cardinals eventually moved on from him, this is another twist in a career that has already taken plenty of sharp turns, and it now appears to be heading toward a place few would have expected. [Read more 🡒]