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Tag: Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals 2025-26 Season Preview & Prediction

Head Coach:
Jonathan Gannon (third season)

2024 Record:
8-9 (3rd in NFC West)

OOSSports Projected 2025-26 Win Record:
9-8

2025 Strength of Schedule:
10th easiest; only four games vs. 2024 playoff teams

Team Strengths and Weaknesses

Biggest Strength: Rushing Attack
Arizona’s multi-pronged ground game led by James Conner and dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray continues to be the team’s offensive engine. The offensive line returns most of its core, giving the Cardinals both power and continuity in the trenches. Conner, entering his age-30 season, remains one of the league’s most physical backs, while Murray ranked among the NFL’s best in yards per carry for quarterbacks in 2024.

Biggest Weakness: Linebacker Unit
The linebacker group remains Arizona’s most uncertain area. Veterans like Mack Wilson Sr. and Mykal Walker have experience but have lacked consistency. Rookie Cody Simon could be thrust into a starting role as the Cardinals search for long-term stability at the second level. The secondary also remains in flux despite offseason upgrades to the defensive line.

Key Player Spotlights

Quarterback: Kyler Murray
Now fully healthy, Murray returns after his first full season since 2020. In 2024, he led the NFL in big-time throws from clean pockets but struggled with week-to-week consistency. If Murray improves his decision-making and efficiency, Arizona’s playoff odds could rise sharply. The two-time Pro Bowler enters 2025 with 19,498 career passing yards and 115 touchdowns.

Running Back: James Conner
Still going strong, Conner ranks second in rushing performance metrics since 2023. He continues to break tackles at an elite rate and has become a more valuable receiver. He’s the beating heart of Arizona’s offense and shows no signs of slowing down.

Tight End: Trey McBride
A breakout candidate again in 2025, McBride led all tight ends in receptions per game last season. His red-zone usage should spike, and he’s poised to improve on his career totals of 221 catches for 2,236 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Cornerback: Garrett Williams
A standout slot defender in 2024, Williams led the team in pass breakups and consistently held opposing receivers under 50 yards. He’ll be crucial to Arizona’s hopes of defensive improvement.

Rookie to Watch: Will Johnson (CB)
The Michigan product, a two-time All-American, brings elite coverage ability to a secondary that needs help. After being named Defensive MVP in the 2024 College Football National Championship, Johnson enters the season with momentum and may start early due to injury to veteran Starling Thomas V.

Team Outlook

The Cardinals improved in overall efficiency in 2024, and with a manageable 2025 schedule, there’s optimism for a potential playoff push. The additions of Josh Sweat and first-round (No. 16 overall) rookie Walter Nolen on defense give this unit more bite, and Kyler Murray’s camp performance has coaches raving.

Rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. will look to build on a tremendous 62-catch, 885-yard, 8-TD rookie campaign, while Greg Dortch offers depth in both receiving and return duties.

Arizona’s post-bye schedule is tougher, with road matchups that could determine their playoff fate. Still, this is the most balanced and dynamic Cardinals team since 2021.

Season Prediction

If Murray levels up his consistency and the defense holds up, Arizona should land around 9 wins and contend for a Wild Card spot. But a slow start or another injury could derail momentum quickly. Either way, the Cardinals are no longer a rebuilding team—they’re ready to compete.

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Ex-NFL RB convicted on Federal Dogfighting charges

Former NFL running back LeShon Johnson has been convicted on federal charges tied to a large-scale dogfighting operation in Oklahoma, federal prosecutors confirmed.

A jury found Johnson guilty on six felony counts of possessing dogs for use in an animal-fighting venture. He was acquitted of 17 other related counts. The 54-year-old now faces up to five years in prison for each conviction and fines of up to $250,000 per count. His sentencing date has not yet been scheduled, according to an article written by Yahoo Sports’s Sean Leahy.

“This conviction sends a strong message that those who abuse animals for entertainment and profit will face serious consequences under federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We are committed to aggressively prosecuting individuals who perpetuate the brutal practice of dog fighting.”

According to court records, Johnson operated an illegal dogfighting ring under the name “Mal Kant Kennels” out of Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma. Prosecutors say he bred “champion” and “grand champion” pit bulls, marketing their bloodlines for fighting purposes.

Johnson was arrested in March 2025 following a months-long investigation. A week after his arrest, he was indicted by a federal grand jury after 190 dogs were seized from his properties in October 2024 under the Animal Welfare Act.

Johnson’s defense attorney, Billy Coyle, argued that his client was simply a breeder of American pit bull terriers. “Obviously the jury found that some of his dogs bred were probably or were used in dog fighting, and those were difficult charges to fight,” Coyle said following the verdict.

This is not Johnson’s first legal issue tied to dogfighting. In 2004, he pleaded guilty to state charges in Oklahoma after running “Krazyside Kennels.” He received a five-year deferred sentence according to public record.

Johnson played five seasons in the NFL between 1994 and 1999 after being drafted in the third round out of Northern Illinois. He spent time with the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, and New York Giants.

The Justice Department emphasized that this conviction is part of a broader crackdown on illegal animal fighting operations across the country.

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Cardinals first-rounder Walter Nolen III expected to miss Training Camp

The Arizona Cardinals’ top rookie may not see the field for much of training camp—or possibly longer. Walter Nolen III, the 16th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, has suffered a calf injury and is expected to miss significant time, according to multiple reports.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed that Nolen will miss “some time” after getting hurt while training. Speaking to reporters, Gannon didn’t rule out the possibility that the rookie defensive tackle could also miss the start of the regular season, saying the team will take it “day by day.”

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport added that Nolen is expected to miss most or all of training camp, though no surgery has been reported.

A Big Blow for a Team Counting on Rookie Impact
Nolen arrived in Arizona with high expectations after a dominant collegiate career at Texas A&M and Ole Miss. Last season with the Rebels, he tallied 48 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks—numbers that earned him All-America recognition and top-20 draft status despite some pre-draft questions about his maturity.

For a Cardinals team trying to climb out of a long-term rebuild, this isn’t welcome news. They’ve missed the playoffs for three straight seasons and haven’t won a postseason game in over a decade. Though they doubled their win total from 2024 last year, the franchise remains a work in progress—and Nolen was drafted to be a key piece of that puzzle.

Next Steps and Long-Term Outlook
Calf injuries are tricky, particularly for linemen who rely heavily on burst and lower-body strength. Arizona’s staff will likely be cautious with the 6-foot-4, 295-pound rookie to avoid aggravating the issue. Whether he’s ready for Week 1 or not will depend on how his rehab progresses over the coming weeks.

The Cardinals’ defensive line rotation may need to adjust in his absence, with additional reps likely going to veterans and other rookies fighting for depth roles.

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