The past few seasons haven’t been the kindest to the Arizona Cardinals.
After having a lot of hype during the early years of Kyler Murray‘s career, the Cardinals have taken some steps back, not making the playoffs since 2021.
They have had a lot of talented players in place to potentially go on a playoff run, but health and execution have been the two biggest flaws in their approach.
There was some extra hype around the Cardinals heading into the 2025 campaign, and their Week 1 win against the New Orleans Saints certainly helped build that moving forward.
Many Cardinals believe there’s something different about this team in 2025, which TE Trey McBride outlined in a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show.
“We’re in Year 3 of Jonathan Gannon’s system… I think it’s go-time now. Kyler’s healthy… I fully expect us to make the playoffs and make a run in the postseason,” McBride said.
Trey McBride on expectations for the Cardinals this season:
"We're in Year 3 of Jonathan Gannon's system… I think it's go-time now. Kyler's healthy… I fully expect us to make the playoffs and make a run in the postseason."
(via @RichEisenShow) pic.twitter.com/CU0al8VrFA
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) September 9, 2025
As McBride mentioned, Jonathan Gannon is in his third year with the team, and if his system is clicking as well as McBride says it is, Sunday’s win will be the first of many.
The Cardinals have a relatively easy schedule over the next month, taking on the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Tennessee Titans.
The jury is still out on all four of those teams, and if the Cardinals keep their momentum going, they could start the year 4-1, or even 5-0 if everything goes their way.
Kyler Murray showed some positive flashes in Week 1, and if that continues against easier opponents, he will be able to build his confidence for the second half of the season.
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