Training camp is nearly here, and the Arizona Cardinals are getting ready to open the 2026 season with a roster that still has some unresolved battles. Head coach Mike LaFleur is taking over a team that managed just three wins last season, and while most starting jobs look settled when the Cardinals report to State Farm Stadium on July 22, a few familiar names are walking into camp on shaky ground.
At quarterback, Jacoby Brissett is expected to open the year as the Week 1 starter. The problem is what comes after that.
Brissett posted career highs in yards and touchdowns, but Arizona still went 1-11 with him under center. If that kind of results-driven slide continues, the Cardinals are likely to look elsewhere, and that would probably mean giving rookie quarterback Beck a chance to show what he can do before 2027.
Brissett’s path to keeping the job is simple in theory and brutal in practice: win. His stat line won’t carry much weight if the team keeps losing, and Arizona’s 2025 season wasn’t pinned entirely on him. Even so, quarterbacks tend to get judged by the scoreboard, and if the Cardinals aren’t stacking wins, a change becomes hard to avoid.
The same kind of pressure is hanging over the offensive line, where Adams enters camp as the incumbent but not necessarily the favorite. He was uneven as Arizona’s starter in 2025, and the Cardinals made it clear they wanted more by drafting Bisontis in the second round. Bisontis is widely viewed as the front-runner for the job, and if he plays anything like he did at Texas A&M, Adams will have a tough time holding off the challenge.
That said, Adams does have the advantage of experience. As the veteran, he has the upper hand heading into camp, and if he can take a noticeable step forward in his third season, Bisontis would need to be exceptional to win the spot right away.
Then there’s James Conner, whose situation looks the most altered of the three. He is coming off a season-ending injury and had to restructure his contract to stay with the team.
Arizona also added Allgeier and Love, moves that have already pushed Conner into a more limited role. He should still have a place as RB3, but his days as a locked-in RB1 appear to be over.
For Conner to climb back into that kind of role, he would need a mix of injuries and poor play ahead of him. That reality says more about the Cardinals’ investment at the position than it does about Conner himself, but it also makes clear how much his standing has changed entering camp.
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Cardinals Receivers May Not Benefit Equally From Mike LaFleurs New Offense
Mike LaFleurs first offseason in Arizona has pointed toward a familiar offensive shape, one that looks a lot like the system he used with the Rams. For the Cardinals receivers, that means the adjustment may not be about learning something entirely new so much as understanding how their roles will shift within it, and Michael Wilson has already signaled he expects to spend more time in run support and work more often from condensed split formations.
For Wilson, that kind of usage can be part of the job description in LaFleurs offense, but it also raises the question of how much room there will be for the wideouts to separate themselves in the passing game. The Cardinals are still sorting out how the personnel fits the scheme, and the early signs suggest not every receiver will be asked to do the same things, which makes the next layer of camp competition worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
James Conner Just Earned A Rare Honor Back Home
James Conners path has always carried a little extra weight, from his days at McDowell High School to a standout college run at Pitt and then on to becoming one of the Cardinals most respected players. Even after a season-ending injury, he remained part of Arizonas plans by restructuring his contract to stay with the team through 2026, a reminder of how much the organization values his presence on and off the field.
Back home, that appreciation is taking a more permanent form. McDowell is honoring Conner in a way that speaks to how far he has come and how much he means to the people who watched his journey from the start, adding another layer to a career defined by production, resilience and leadership. For Arizona, it also comes at a time when Conners future role has become a little more complicated, which makes the tribute feel even more notable. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Rookie QB Buzz Comes With One Big Problem For Collectors
The 2026 football card market is already taking shape around a draft class that does not offer the kind of obvious quarterback chase collectors usually flock to, which has pushed more attention toward rookie receivers and backs. Topps Flagship Football is set to arrive with that backdrop in mind, and the early buzz is centered on where the hobby might find its next big seller if the quarterback pool does not deliver a true headliner.
One of the names drawing the most conversation is Jeremiyah Love, whose landing spot gives collectors plenty to think about even before the first pack is opened. Arizonas backfield already has established pieces in place, so the appeal here is not just about draft capital or talent, but about how much room there really is for a rookie to break through in a crowded situation. [Read more 🡒]