The Cardinals are entering what could be a very important 2024 season. The expectations aren’t necessarily a team that makes the NFL playoffs but shows significant progress towards that goal. It will be a key evaluation year to know where they stand relative to the rest of the league and what they need to do in order to become a Super Bowl contender.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!These five things will be essential to the outcome of the 2024 season and if they’re on the right track to make some noise in the following season.
1. Kyler Murray proves he’s a quality starting quarterback
Any chance of the Cardinals becoming a Super Bowl contender rests on the shoulders of Kyler Murray. Without quality quarterback play, the ceiling of the team is very low. The cost of acquiring such a quarterback is very prohibitive, meaning Arizona would have to either give up a lot of assets or pay a premium in free agency for a capable starter.
Murray has been called overrated, but he should be further removed from his ACL injury in 2022. The Cardinals have improved the talent level around him, investing a lot of draft capital on that side of the ball. He’ll have a chance to grow with a young receiving core consisting of players in their first contract with Arizona.
With enough young talent around him, Murray will have to prove he can get the job done as the starting quarterback of the Cardinals. They’re paying him to be a difference-maker under center, as he’s on the books for a $37 million salary and a $49.1 million cap hit. Anything less than that will set the team back years.
2. 2024 rookie class makes significant impact
The Cardinals had six selections in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft and used all of them. First rounders Marvin Harrison Jr. and Darius Robinson are expected to develop into difference-makers that can make an impact early on their side of the ball. In addition to those two, their other four selections have a chance to develop into a starting role.
Harrison won’t be the Cardinals’ No. 1 receiver right away, but as long as he’s consistent enough to force teams to respect him, it will make the entire offense click. They have options who can exploit 1-on-1 coverage, whether that’s Michael Wilson vs. the opposing team’s No. 2 corner, Trey McBride vs. linebackers and safeties in the middle of the field, or James Connor against linebackers out of the backfield. The only thing missing from this offense was a bona fide No. 1 receiver, hence the selection of Harrison.
Going further down the list of Cardinals draftees, second rounder Max Melton and third rounder Elijah Jones have a chance to start in a relatively unsettled cornerback room. Melton has all the traits needed for a starting corner and Jones is about as battle-tested as you can get for an NFL rookie. If Arizona can get one of the two to be at least a capable starter across from Sean Murphy-Bunting by the end of the season, they’ll be in good shape with their secondary come 2025.
3. Good health across the board with offensive skill players
Good health is pretty much a key to any successful season, especially in a key evaluation year. We’ve seen quick turnarounds with both the Phoenix Suns (2021) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2023) turning things around quickly, going from one of the worst teams in the league to competing for a championship in just two seasons.
The good health not only applies to Murray, but the players he’s throwing the ball to and his offensive line. Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., James Connor, and Trey McBride are all the key players on offense, and having them on the field as much as possible is essential for the offense to continue to grow. At full strength, they should be able to attack any weakness in the opposing defense.
4. Drastically improved play from the defense
The Cardinals were not a good defense in 2023. They were 29th in points allowed per game (28.5) and points allowed per drive (2.53). They were the worst team at giving up third down conversions, allowing teams to extend drives at a 47.3% clip.
Going into his second year with the team, defensive coordinator Nick Rallis will have his work cut out for him. Providing more resistance against opposing passing attacks will be the No. 1 priority to solve. The Cardinals were 29th in generating pressure, recording a hit, hurry, or sack on just 17.1% of dropbacks. The cornerback room was a major weakness and the Cardinals do not have any elite pass rushers.
Additionally, better play from the offense and special teams should provide a lift for the defense. Scoring more points on offense puts more pressure on the opposing offense to keep up and better special teams play will create more opportunities for the defense to get a stop.
Should the Cardinals hit on these four keys, it should be a successful season in terms of laying a foundation for making a run in the 2025 season. Better fortune and better play could result in an unlikely playoff run for Arizona, continuing the pattern of quick turnarounds in a city named after a mythological bird that rises up from its own ashes.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
