Arizona Cardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 24: General manager Monti Ossenfort of the Arizona Cardinals speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Arizona Cardinals are coming off a horrible 3-14 season. After firing coach Jonathan Gannon and hiring Mike LaFleur, things seemed like they couldn’t get worse entering free agency.
They just might.
NFL insider Jason La Canfora spoke with people across the league about the Cardinals’ offseason. One NFL GM told La Canfora it’s obvious what the Cardinals are doing.
“They’re tanking, bro,” the general manager told La Canfora. “They aren’t even hiding it.”
“It’s all about 2027 for Arizona,” an agent told La Canfora. “It’s between them and the Jets (for the top pick). They want LaFleur to have his pick of anyone he wants.”
What Signs Show the Arizona Cardinals Could Be Tanking?
If the Cardinals are indeed tanking, it’s not as discreet as one would think.
The Cardinals have no plans at quarterback for the immediate future. After releasing longtime starter Kyler Murray, Jacoby Brissett is expected to take the reins for 2026.
The Cardinals also signed journeyman quarterback Gardner Minshew to be their backup. When the top free agent quarterback available (Malik Willis) went to the Miami Dolphins, Arizona pivoted to Minshew.
Willis has great upside, but may not have enough starting experience for the Cardinals to have signed him.
While the Cardinals have no plan at quarterback, it appears that Arizona is working on improving its offense before putting a free-agent or rookie quarterback as the signal-caller.
While Arizona has done that, is it enough? The Cardinals have added to their offensive line this offseason, signing Isaac Seumalo, Elijah Wilkinson, Matt Pryor and Oli Udoh.
What was a severe weakness for Arizona could now be up to par.
The upcoming NFL Draft will likely supplement a roster with lots of holes.
Speaking of the upcoming draft, it appears the Cardinals will greatly improve their team with the No. 3 overall pick. However, it’s not in the way fans may hope.
Quarterback should be off the table due to a weak draft at the position. With the 2027 NFL Draft loaded with quarterback prospects, Arizona could very well wait until then to select its future signal caller.
So Are They Tanking?
‘Tanking’ isn’t and shouldn’t be a word thrown around lightly. It undermines the integrity of the game, and there are many rules in place that prevent this from happening.
For example, the Miami Dolphins were stripped of a first and third-round pick on top of their owner being fined and suspended for intentionally losing a few years back.
However, while a simple concept, tanking is tough to do on the field. Everyone involved has too much to lose to intentionally perform poorly. It jeopardizes the short-term and long-term futures of the front office, coaching staff and players.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort is entering a crucial year. The Cardinals retained Ossenfort while firing Gannon, hoping for a better outcome in 2026.
Ossenfort simply wouldn’t be engaging in tanking when he knows his job is clearly on the line.
So in the end, no, the Cardinals are not tanking. They have too much to lose.