The Arizona Cardinals are back at State Farm Stadium and, after months of waiting, the first step toward the 2026 season is finally here with practices getting underway.
Even with a roster that has talent sprinkled all over it, the expectation is still that Arizona will land near the bottom of the NFL standings again. That puts a lot on head coach Mike LaFleur to sort through the pieces and find the right formula.
Before camp ramps up, the Cardinals roster can be broken into seven tiers, starting with the players Arizona is banking on to help shape both now and later.
At the top are the glue guys - the players the Cardinals are counting on to become pillars in the desert. That group includes Trey McBride, Paris Johnson Jr., Walter Nolen III and Jeremiyah Love.
Just below that sits a smaller tier made up of the team’s clearest difference-makers, and all three of those names are on defense: Budda Baker, Josh Sweat and Mack Wilson Sr.
Arizona also has a pair of players whose seasons could tilt the whole operation one way or the other. Marvin Harrison Jr. is the offensive name there, while Will Johnson is the defensive one.
The next tier is built around steady starters - players who may not dominate the conversation, but are expected to do their jobs. That group includes Isaac Seumalo, Jacoby Brissett, Tyler Allgeier, Hjalte Froholdt, Roy Lopez, Garrett Williams, Michael Wilson, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Blake Gillikin, Chad Ryland and Kasey Kreiter.
Then comes the large middle class: players stuck in roster limbo, whether as lower-end starters or high-upside role players. The Cardinals have a long list here, including Baron Browning, Zaven Collins, Kendrick Bourne, Jack Gibbens, Elijah Wilkinson, Isaiah Adams, Tip Reiman, Gardner Minshew, Cody Simon, Jon Gaines, Denzel Burke, Kitan Crawford, Elijah Higgins, Dante Stills, Joey Blount, Sean Murphy-Bunting, James Conner, Andrew Wingard, Andrew Billings, L.J. Collier, Devin Duvernay, Starling Thomas and Jonah Williams.
There’s another tier for players who either need to show more or are still waiting to be fully evaluated. That group features Darius Robinson, Chase Bisontis, Max Melton, BJ Ojulari, Carson Beck, Jordan Burch, Elijah Jones, Kaleb Proctor, Reggie Virgil, Hayden Conner, Josh Fryar, Xavier Weaver and Tejhaun Palmer.
Finally, camp opens with a big group fighting for jobs. Trey Benson, Karson Sharar, Jayden Williams, Christian Jones, Owen Pappoe, Kei'Trel Clark, Damonic Williams, Harrison Wallace III, Elijah Culp, Cameron Robertson, Jameson Geers, Wydett Williams, Ka'ena De Cambra, Valentin Senn, Austin Keys, Zachary Carter, Jalen Brooks, Demontrey Jacobs, Kedon Slovis, Corey Kiner, Rivaldo Fairweather, Kalen King, Isaiah Oliver, Simi Fehoko, Teagan Quitoriano, Kenny Yeboah, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Bam Knight, Eku Leota, P.J. Mustipher, Jaden Davis, Bryson Green, Elliot Brown, Matt Pryor and Oli Udoh are all in that mix as training camp begins.
In Other News...
Cardinals QB Battle Just Took A Sudden Turn Around Brissett
The Cardinals quarterback competition has already taken a sharp early-season turn, and it came on the second day of training camp when Jacoby Brissett was not part of the 11-on-11 work. Gardner Minshew, Carson Beck and Kedon Slovis handled those reps instead, a setup that underscored how quickly the camp order can shift when a veteran is still trying to get comfortable in a new offense.
Mike LaFleur said there is no timeline for Brissett to catch up, which leaves Arizona with a real early sorting-out period at the most important spot on the field. The camp picture is already a little uneven beyond quarterback, with Paris Johnson and Josh Sweat starting on the physically unable to perform list and the organization also dealing with the indefinite suspension of personnel executive Ryan Gold under the NFLs gambling policy. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Lost Another Young D Lineman Before He Could Matter
Kaleb Proctors first NFL season is already on ice, another frustrating hit for a Cardinals rookie class that has been hit hard by lower-body injuries before it ever got rolling. The defensive lineman was placed on injured reserve, and Arizona is choosing to play it safe rather than try to squeeze any late-season value out of a player it wanted to develop into part of the rotation.
For a front that was counting on young depth to matter, the loss stings because it narrows the margin even more on the interior. The Cardinals will have to keep sorting through the rest of their defensive line group to absorb the snap load, but Proctors absence leaves one more unanswered question about how much of this rookie class will actually get a chance to contribute when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Mike LaFleur Just Drew A Line Around Cardinals Pick
The Cardinals decision to take Jeremiyah Love third overall in the 2026 NFL draft was always going to invite debate, especially for a rebuilding team spending such a premium pick on a running back. But Mike LaFleur has been quick to frame the move around more than positional value, pointing to Loves maturity, his willingness to learn and the kind of presence he has already brought into the locker room.
LaFleur has also made clear that Arizona believes Loves background matters as much as his talent, praising the foundation that shaped him and the way he carries himself around veterans. For a team trying to change its culture as much as its roster, that kind of endorsement is part of the pitch, even if the outside criticism around the pick is not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]