The NFL Season is nearly upon us. The season kicks off on Wednesday, September 9. Between now and then, we’ll be previewing all 32 NFL Teams along with playoff picks. One team will be previewed each day, beginning with the Super Bowl-winning Seahawks and ending with the New York Jets. Check back each day for the next installment!

The wheels came off for the Cardinals in 2025. The team struggled on the field and off the field, with Kyler Murray suffering an injury and eventually being deactivated for competitive reasons. While Jacoby Brissett filled in well, the team mustered only three wins. That led to Jonathan Gannon being let go and the Cardinals making some big changes. Will it lead to better results in 2026? Let’s dive in.

Off-Season Changes

With Gannon out, the Cardinals turned to Mike LaFleur as the new Head Coach. LaFleur has plenty of experience on the offensive side, including serving as Offensive Coordinator for the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams over the past five seasons. The team also moved on from Murray, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings. The Cardinals lost some depth at skill positions, with running backs Michael Carter and Emari Demarcado moving on, as well as receiver Greg Dortch. Defensively, pass rusher Calaias Campbell went back to the Baltimore Ravens.

But the Cardinals also re-loaded. In free agency, the team added Tyler Allgeier to the running back room. Allgeier spent his first four seasons with the Falcons, rushing for 2,876 yards and 18 touchdowns. He even had a 1,000-yard season as a rookie before the Falcons added Bijan Robinson. The team added veteran backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, as well as receivers Kendrick Bourne and Devin Duvernay.

In the draft, the Cardinals spent the No. 3 overall pick on Jeremiyah Love, the running back out of Notre Dame. Love rushed for 2,497 yards and 35 touchdowns over the last two seasons and figures to be a force in the backfield for the Cardinals. The team also spent a Third-Round pick on Carson Beck, who had strong seasons for the Georgia Bulldogs and Miami Hurricanes. Beck is an interesting prospect who could get a shot to show what he can do.

Fantasy Impact

Brissett goes into this season as the starter. In 2025, appearing in 14 games and starting a majority of the season, he finished as QB16. There is potential for him to have low-end QB2 appeal with upside. But if the Cardinals are out of contention, they may look to what they have in Beck. The backfield is a bit of a mess. Love and Allgeier join James Conner and Trey Benson. I suspect Love will be the main part of the attack. He has RB1 upside, but I like him better as an RB2 with Allegeier as an RB3 for now. The Cardinals will likely try to move Conner and/or Benson at the end of the pre-season. If not, it’s hard to see an immediate path to touches.

In the passing game, the biggest question is the evolution of Marvin Harrison, Jr. He was a First-Round pick but has had an uneven two seasons. He finished as WR49 in 12 games in 2025. I would hope he can get at least into WR3 range. Michael Wilson thrived with Brissett, finishing as WR10. I don’t know that he’s a WR1 again, but I like him as a WR2. The best pass catcher is tight end Trey McBride, who finished as TE1 in 2025. He’s a candidate to repeat the feat and is a Top 3 option at the position.

Prediction

The Cardinals were bad in 2025, winning just three games. Will they be better in 2026? I suspect they can make a gain in terms of wins, but it’s still a loaded division. They are still likely last in the NFC West and out of the playoffs, but they could be fun to watch!

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.