It was a disappointing season for the Arizona Cardinals who now enter the offseason with a bunch of questions. Is it time to rebuild? Should Kyler Murray be their franchise quarterback? How close to competing is this team? It feels like they are a franchise without direction.
And it looks like ESPN feels that way as well.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler released a tier ranking of every NFL team headed into the offseason. That system fit every team into these 11 boxes:
- Super Bowl contenders (Chiefs and Eagles)
- On the Cusp (Ravens, Bills and Lions)
- Need a Postseason Breakthrough (Packers and Vikings)
- Teetering on Contending (Bengals, Steelers and Texans)
- Headed on the Right Track (Broncos, Chargers, Rams, Buccaneers, Seahawks and Commanders)
- Stuck in the Middle… But a Move or Two Away (Falcons, Cowboys, Colts and 49ers)
- Stuck in QB Purgatory (Browns and Raiders)
- Could Go Either Way (Cardinals, Bears and Dolphins)
- New Coach, New Direction (Jaguars and Saints)
- Rebuild in the Works (Panthers, Titans and Giants)
- Yes, Still Rebuilding (Patriots and Jets)
As you can see, the Cardinals were placed in the 8th lowest tier. Fowler cited that Arizona has some talent but has huge holes on the line. They have some cap space but this management hasn’t been known to take big swings on the free agency market. But most of all, they have to figure out what they are going to do with Kyler Murray.
Everything with the Cardinals seems to hinge on whether or not he is their franchise QB of the future, and as Fowler said, it “could go either way”.
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Spenser Tilus is a sports reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account @Spenser_Tilus
